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Cardinals' Jimmy Crooks: Sitting against lefty Sunday
Rotowire
Crooks is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cubs.
Though Crooks is expected to settle in as the Cardinals' primary catcher, he ended up making just one start during the club's three-game series with the Cubs after being called up from Triple-A Memphis on Friday. Both of the left-handed-hitting backstop's absences have come versus lefties, with Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages both receiving one start apiece behind the plate in place of Crooks.
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Cardinals' Jimmy Crooks: Recalled to St. Louis
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The Cardinals recalled Crooks from Triple-A Memphis on Friday.
The 24-year-old will join the big-league roster after posting a .262/.412/.567 slash line with 13 homers in 39 games for Memphis. Yohel Pozo was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move. It's not clear how much playing time Crooks will get, as Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages have split most of the starts at catcher this season, but Pages' .622 OPS in 125 plate appearances could make him the odd man out.
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Cardinals' Jimmy Crooks: Expected to see steady playing time
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Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol indicated Friday that Crooks is set to receive the lion's share of playing time at catcher, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Ivan Herrera will continue to serve as the personal catcher for Michael McGreevy and Andre Pallante, but it will be Crooks unseating Pedro Pages as the team's primary catcher for the rest of the rotation. Crooks earned a promotion Friday after slashing .262/.412/.567 with 13 home runs this season with Memphis. The left-handed-hitting Crooks is not in Friday's lineup against the Cubs -- southpaw Shota Imanaga is starting for Chicago and Herrera is doing the catching for Pallante -- but he should be in the lineup Saturday.
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Cardinals' Jimmy Crooks: Up to 13 home runs at Triple-A
Rotowire
Crooks went 1-for-2 with a solo home run and a pair of walks in Triple-A Memphis' win over Jacksonville.
The long ball was Crooks' 13th of the season, which is only one off the career-high 14 homers he had at Memphis in 2025. He's also sporting a 17.7 percent walk rate and 30.6 percent strikeout rate, so it's been a three-true-outcomes season for the 24-year-old backstop. Crooks has a lot more offensive upside than Pedro Pages and is also a good defender, but the Cardinals like Pages' defense and handling of the pitching staff. A promotion for Crooks doesn't appear imminent.
Cardinals' Jimmy Crooks: Beginning season in Memphis
Rotowire
The Cardinals optioned Crooks to Triple-A Memphis on Saturday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
With five catchers on St. Louis' 40-man roster, Crooks had a considerable amount of competition for an Opening Day spot, and despite going 4-for-12 at the plate with a homer, four RBI and two runs scored in the Grapefruit League, he will ultimately fall short. He's had consistent success hitting in the minors, posting a .773 OPS in 435 plate appearances at Triple-A last season, and he could be called up to St. Louis later in the year if the trend continues.
Cardinals' Jimmy Crooks: Could share catcher with Herrera
Rotowire
Crooks could split time at catcher for the Cardinals next season with Ivan Herrera, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
Herrera is slated to return to catcher in 2026 after serving as the team's primary designated hitter for the final few months of 2025. He is not expected to be used behind the plate full-time, though, leaving some reps at catcher open. Per Woo, that playing time is likelier to go to Crooks than Pedro Pages, who is a trade candidate. Crooks struggled in a cup of coffee with the Cardinals in 2025, going 6-for-45 with a 0:17 BB:K. However, the 24-year-old has been productive in the minors, having slashed .274/.337/.441 with 14 home runs last season at Triple-A Memphis.
Crooks is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers.
The left-handed-hitting Crooks was expected to get a look as the Cardinals' top backstop over the final few weeks of the season, but he's now sat in four of St. Louis' last five matchups, with three of his absences coming against right-handed pitching. Entering Sunday, the 72-77 Cardinals sit just four games behind the pace for the final wild-card spot in the National League, which may be a factor in the team's decision to lean more heavily of late on Pedro Pages, who lacks Crooks' upside as a hitter but is a more trusted defender behind the dish.
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Cardinals' Jimmy Crooks: Sitting Wednesday
Rotowire
Crooks isn't in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mariners.
It initially seemed like Crooks would take over as the Cardinals' primary backstop to close out the regular season, but a 2-for-17 start to his MLB career will now cause him to miss his third start in four games. Pedro Pages will start behind the plate instead Wednesday, and it seems likely that the two players will split time at catcher during the final stretch.
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Cardinals' Jimmy Crooks: Settling in as primary catcher
Rotowire
Crooks is starting at catcher and batting sixth in Monday's game against the Mariners.
Crooks is making his third start over the last four games and the left-handed hitter has been in the lineup four times across the Cardinals' last five contests versus righties. According to Katie Woo of The Athletic, Crooks is expected to continue seeing the bulk of the starts behind the dish for the rest of the season. Pedro Pages' could be limited mostly to playing versus lefties, while Yohel Pozo will be used as a pinch hitter.
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Cardinals' Jimmy Crooks: Idle Sunday
Rotowire
Crooks is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Giants.
Crooks will take a seat for the day game after starting three of the last four contests while going 1-for-10 with a run scored. Pedro Pages will draw the start at catcher Sunday, but with the 71-72 Cardinals fading from playoff contention, it wouldn't be surprising if the rookie Crooks ended up seeing the bulk of the playing time at the position for the remainder of the season.
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Cardinals' Jimmy Crooks: Starting at catcher Tuesday
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Crooks is starting at catcher and batting sixth in Tuesday's game versus the Athletics.
It's just the second start Crooks has made in five contests since being promoted from Triple-A Memphis. He homered in his first start Sunday in Cincinnati. Pedro Pages will begin Tuesday's festivities on the bench.
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Cardinals' Jimmy Crooks: Sitting out day after homering
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Crooks is out of the lineup for Monday's game versus the Athletics.
Crooks drew his first major-league start in Sunday's 7-4 loss to the Reds and cranked his first big-league home run, but he finds himself back on the bench a day later. The young catcher has started just one of four games since being recalled from Triple-A Memphis. Pedro Pages will catch and bat seventh for St. Louis on Monday.
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Cardinals' Jimmy Crooks: Making first MLB start
Rotowire
Crooks is starting behind the plate and batting eighth Sunday against the Reds.
The 24-year-old will make the first start of his MLB career after being called up by the Cardinals on Friday. It technically won't be his MLB debut, however, since he entered as a defensive replacement without receiving an at-bat in Friday's contest. Crooks is one of St. Louis' top prospects and posted a .272/.336/.437 slash line with 14 homers in 99 games for Triple-A Memphis this year.
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Cardinals' Jimmy Crooks: Slated for promotion to majors
Rotowire
The Cardinals will call up Crooks from Triple-A Memphis prior to Friday's game against the Reds, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Crooks is ready for an opportunity at the major-league level after slashing .274/.337/.441 with 14 home runs this season with Memphis. The 24-year-old has been red hot in August, producing a .337/.404/.518 line with three long balls. It's not clear what the corresponding move will be to get Crooks on the active roster, but Yohel Pozo was shaken up by a foul tip off the mask Thursday. If Pozo needs to miss time, Crooks could share catching duties with Pedro Pages.
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