The St. Louis Cardinals earned a deserved day off on Thursday after taking two of three games from the New York Yankees earlier in the week.
On Friday, the Cards begin a fresh home series against the Colorado Rockies.
St. Louis has been without Jordan Walker since Monday, but ahead of the Rockies matchup, the Cardinals announced their lineup for the series opener, and it includes an important decision regarding Walker.
Jordan Walker Back in Lineup for Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals will have Jordan Walker back in the starting lineup on Friday, which is certainly encouraging.
Although the team has hit a bit of a rough stretch recently, the Cardinals still have an opportunity to make the MLB playoffs if they can close out the season on a strong note. Having Walker producing at the plate could be crucial to that push.
Here’s the full Cardinals batting order for 8/7, courtesy of @UnderdogMLB:
Cardinals 8/7: “J. Wetherholt 2B J. Walker RF A. Burleson 1B I. Herrera DH J. Crooks C M. Winn SS N. Church CF B. Torres LF C. Prieto 3B K. Leahy SP”
The most noteworthy detail is Walker hitting second while starting in right field. Jimmy Crooks will work with Kyle Leahy as the battery, while Nathan Church is also included in the lineup, playing SS.
Jordan Walker’s 2026 Season at a Glance
After experiencing struggles throughout much of his first three MLB seasons, Jordan Walker has broken out in a major way for the Cardinals in 2026 and has played an important role in the team’s success this year.
Walker was selected to his first MLB All-Star Game last month before going on to win the Home Run Derby in dramatic fashion.
He had been dealing with knee inflammation, so his return to the lineup is a positive sign that he will not need an IL stint.
Walker has appeared in 111 games this season, hitting .285 with 22 home runs, 81 RBI, and a 134 OPS+.