Cardinals DL Rick Ankiel, want full-strength bench
ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Cardinals placed center fielder Rick Ankiel on the 15-day disabled list this morning so that they could return their bench to full and healthy strength. Outfielder Shane Robinson, one of the leading hitters for the Class AAA affiliate, was promoted and will be activated before today’s game.
“I think the important thing here is that Rick will get regular treatment, and he’ll get a chance to recover without the day-to-day rigors of playing at the major-league level,” general manager John Mozeliak said.
Ankiel will go to the team’s facility in Jupiter, Fla., to begin his rehab.
By being at the club’s spring training campus, he’ll be able to take part in baseball activities while also being close to his offseason home. Mozeliak said he does not expect Ankiel’s absence to linger past the 15 days mandated by the move. But he added with 13 pitchers on the roster the team cannot go without a completely healthy bench. Carrying a player who cannot play handcuffs the manager.
Robinson just came off the disabled list at Triple-A Memphis. He was on with a cyst on his right calf — a soreness that was considered a roadblock to his promotion. In Omaha on Wednesday night, Robinson started and scored three runs.
His asset is speed and a high-average bat. The combination of the two allows him to compensate for a lack of power by turning singles into doubles. At Class AA Springfield last season, he often turned a walk into a run with his ability to steal bases and take extra bases.
“Speed. Defense. He’s a very complete player,” Mozeliak said. “Look at the tools he has. He can provide extra-base hits, and I think he showed in spring training that he’s a high-energy player. The situation we’re in with only 12 position players means you need to have everyone available.”
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Derrick Goold said he was going to Mizzou for capital-J journalism, but after growing up in the Time Zone Baseball Forgot he was really drawn to MU sitting between two major-league cities. Goold joined the Post-Dispatch in 2001 after working for The Times-Picayune and Rocky Mountain News, covering sports from LSU to NHL and every level of baseball in between. 
I like how they brought up Robinson when we have a “full” outfield. Just goes to show Duncan is not as good as some like to think!
Ridiculous comment^. They lost an OF and added an OF. What does that have to do with Duncan?
Speed…..glorious speed! When he plays, I fully expect to see the pitcher hitting 8th.
Saw Shane in Spring Training and he hit a solo home run, stole two bases, and had an RBI in the two games he played….This kid is great! I’m so happy for him!
Don’t get the first comment…Ankiel is an OF, and we promoted an Of to take another OF’s spot?
like the stash must be a member of mensa with such an insightful and logical response.
In regards to first comment: As others said, OF to replace an OF…but ALSO…we were running with only 1 backup outfielder, anyway (not counting Skip who has to be considered a 2B now). With Ank out, we did NOT have a full outfield. 3 OFs doesn’t give you ANY backup/protection…not to mention pinch-hitting ability. Robinson gives you all of that. Remember, we usually play with 5 OFs…but precisely because Dunc HAS been so good this year, we’re making it with 4 on the roster. Robinson is the 4th OF now.
Sheesh…enough already with the Duncan bashing…he’s a good player. Leave him alone and accept/admit you were wrong about him last year.
Saw Robinson play in AA Springfield. Good bat, good speed, excellent arm. In between innings he twice threw a ball on the fly from left field corner to bullpen catcher standing in foul territory in right field.
Irrationality abounds. How is the outfield “full” when one of the 4 outfielders is on the DL? I guess it’s not possible for any other member of the outfield to get hurt, huh?
Yeah, Duncan is awful. I don’t see why would keep a guy with 18 RBI, a .385 OBP, a .523 SLG, for a .907 OPS in the first month. Is it because he doesn’t hit LHP? Oh wait, his AVG and SLG are the same against RHP and LHP.
The outfield on this team is a strength from all 4 of the regulars, but they can’t survive with only 3 on the roster, even for 15 days. I hope Robinson makes his presence felt during this short audition. It will be fun to see some real speed on the team.
I really the fact that Duncan is playing well — as should all Cardinals fans because even if you don’t want him to play regularly or realize he’s not a very good fielder — he is increasing his trade value for a good young pitcher by proving he’s healthy and can hit/get on base regularly as a middle of the lineup guy and he’s hitting lefties too (which our other lefthanded outfielders can’t do right now — i.e. Ankiel, Rasmus and Schu)!!
I am also happy for him since I think he would be better off playing 1B or combo 1B/DH for another team and would have a more rewarding career!! He was drafted the same year as Pujols!!
Now whether the Cards want to or Mo has the guts to trade him later on is another question for another time!!
Bring me a good young pitcher in a trade/package because we don’t seem able to develop them on a regular basis!!
I saw this kid play in spring training. It may have been an off day but he was in a over sized uniform with no name on it - I’m not sure if it even had a number on it. He came up to bat and looked like he was twelve but he sure could hit.
I just saw Sugar Shane when Memphis visited Omaha yesterday afternoon. You’re going to love this guy. He ran a double into a triple against the Royals; in fact, he represents the whole Redbirds team ethic of hustle and aggression. Shane basically struts more than Dustin Pedroia, and even though it’s likely David Eckstein would tower over him, he’s a really hard hitter and is great to watch.
Duncan is only on the team because he is the coach’s kid…plain and simple! he is a “natural” 1st baseman, yet when he played there last week he made an error that cost a Win! unload him to an AL team who needs a DH or a AAA team who needs a mascot!
Karen, since the comments on this page don’t allow HTML, just go ahead and type in “BLUE FONT” at the beginning of posts like yours. Otherwise it just looks like you don’t know much about baseball.
Karen-
Really, Duncan is only on the roster because he’s the pitching coach’s kid? Thanks for clarifying that, I kind of thought he was on the roster because he’s hitting, fielding, driving in runs and basically, making out team a better team. But, glad you got this all cleared up and we can all know now that Chris Duncan will only ever have a job if his dad is the pitching coach. I rolled my eyes at your comment, but you probably didn’t see it.
How many major league teams carry 13 pitchers. Anyone know?
How many pitchers do most major league teams carry? Anyone know? The Cards pinch hit with pitchers and dip into the minors for positionplayers.
wow another mensa member in karen. must be soulmates with “like the stash”. a mascot really?
Re: Duncan… I hear the Dodgers need a left fielder!
Congratulations to Shane Robinson! I’m looking forward to seeing this kid play. He may be little in stature, but he has the tools and the heart that it takes to be a good MLB PLAYER. I hope TLR turns him loose on the base paths.
Mensa just got out… Anyway ship Duncan out of town please I don’t care who takes his place. Actually I hope this Robinson kid turns out to be awesome so it can be him, Rick, and Ludwick out there!
thurston can also play outfield. the cardinals have enough quality arms in the minors so trading dunc the way he’s playing now wouldn’t make sense. robinson also increases the speed of the club.
Classy interview last night on fsmw by Ankiel. He thanked the fans for showing concern for him. I like that guy. Sign him, he has Cardinal blood.
Bear in mind that the reason we’ve been carrying 13 pitchers is because of the schedule, which gave us one scheduled off-day in the first 35 days of the season. (Luckily, the two rainouts gave us a couple more off-days.)
Once we get past this weekend, the need for 13 pitchers is somewhat less - but only somewhat - we still have only three off-days between May 12 and June 14, including a stretch of 17 in a row from May 29 till June 14.
My guess, then, is that we’ll stay at 13 pitchers at least until Ankiel returns (he’ll be eligible for activation on May 19, I think, since his DL stint is made retro to 5/4, when he was hurt) and at that point they’ll decide whether to send Robinson back down or stay with 13 pitchers. It may well depend on how well Shane is doing; for all we know, he could pull a “Vince Coleman” or “Willie McGee” and stick around. (For those who don’t remember, Coleman and McGee were each called up as rookies as injury replacements in 1985 and 1982, respectively, but did so well that they couldn’t be sent back down - which is why, in 1985, the Cards traded Lonnie Smith to KC instead of sending Coleman down.)
It will be interesting, too, in a week or so, to see if the Cards keep Tyler Greene or send him down when Brendan Ryan is eligible to come off the DL. Although I’m sure there are those who “fear” the Cards will send *Robinson* down and keep Greene and Ryan both.
Anyway, that’s why we have 13 pitchers, and why we needed to go ahead and make the roster move instead of playing with only 3 bench players for an extended period of time, especially as we’re hitting the road tonight for six games in Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.
You guys are going to love Shane Robinson. He was here in SGF for the biggest part of last season, and is the quintessential gamer.
Honestly, the hatred towards Chris Duncan from Cardinals fans is downright scary. What exactly did this guy do to cause so many folks to detest him? He’s one of the better hitters on the team and he’s a solid base runner. Yes, his defense is not very good, BUT it’s not nearly as bad as many believe.
Welcome to the big leagues, Shane!!
Duncan sucks! Discuss further…
Some people live in the past. This is a new season and players are performing different than last year. Lets support all players.
Shane Robinson was phenomenal at center field for Florida State University. Relatively small in stature, but he had an uncanny way of making difficult plays using his speed and strong arm in the outfield. He was outstanding at bat and a threat on the base pads. From what I’ve read, he has continued his outstanding ways in the minors. The Cardinals are very fortunate to have this young man.