Just over a month after the St. Louis Cardinals made the shocking decision to demote top prospect Jordan Walker to the minor leagues, the 21-year-old slugger is making his return to the majors.
Walker got off to a hot start, going on a 12-game hit streak and hitting .274 with two home runs before being sent down.
But with the Cardinals outfield in limbo thanks to injuries, now represents the perfect time for Walker to return.
He initially struggled in the minors before getting hot again.
The Cardinals had asked him to make some adjustments to his swing.
On Friday, team legend Matt Holliday spoke on a local St. Louis radio show to discuss just how difficult it is to make adjustments in the middle of a season.
Matt Holliday joined #TheFastLane and explained how difficult it is to make mechanical adjustments to your swing during the middle of the season.
Hanging with Holliday is presented by Air Alliance Team!
Full interview: https://t.co/6Zb90Rxuyu pic.twitter.com/HhS23NZlTv
— 101 ESPN St. Louis (@101espn) June 2, 2023
Holliday talked about how the offseason gives players a better chance to make major adjustments, due to there being more time.
The former Cardinals outfielder and 2011 World Series champion said that he wasn’t surprised that things didn’t start off well in the minor leagues for Walker, since he was asked to make a major adjustment on the fly.
Holliday then defended Walker by saying that since young players are often taught to hit the ball in the air, it ultimately is an adjustment that they make over time as they mature over the course of their careers.
The 43-year-old even went as far as to say that Walker didn’t necessarily need to make any major changes and that he would grow as a hitter naturally, which appears to be the case with the Cardinals rookie.
Walker is back with the club as they begin their three-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
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