This past week has been full of ups and downs for the St. Louis Cardinals.
After snapping their eight-game losing skid, they won three consecutive games and earned their first series win since mid-April.
The biggest news of the week has been the team’s plan for catcher Willson Contreras, who was recently relegated to designated hitter duties.
However, the Cardinals do plan on getting Contreras back behind the plate soon.
On Twitter, Cardinals analyst Brandon Kiley discussed how Friday’s game against the Boston Red Sox presents a perfect opportunity for Contreras to start that process with Adam Wainwright on the mound.
To me, tonight is a perfect opportunity for the #STLCards to get Willson Contreras back behind the plate. Waino calls his own game & this would allow them to get their best lineup both offensively (Yepez at DH) and defensively (Donovan in LF).
— Brandon Kiley (@BKSportsTalk) May 12, 2023
Amidst all the controversy, Wainwright was adamant that he fully supported Contreras through this process and even said that he would welcome having him catch his starts.
With Wainwright starting Friday in Boston, Contreras may in fact get a shot at catching for the first time in a few weeks.
This would allow the Cardinals to use Juan Yepez as a designated hitter and potentially start super utilityman Brendan Donovan in left field, so as to have the best possible lineup offensively and defensively.
They are facing a left-handed pitcher in James Paxton, so starting Donovan, who is a left-handed hitter, may not be an option for the Cardinals.
However, Kiley makes it clear that the Cardinals would have a better chance to win and to gauge Conteras’ ability behind the plate if he started at the catcher position and worked with Wainwright.
The Cardinals own a 13-25 record, the worst in the National League.
NEXT: Cardinals Writer Discusses Willson Contreras' Catching Future
