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Crooks is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Marlins.
The left-handed-hitting Crooks is on the bench for the fourth time in five games, with three of those absences coming against right-handed starting pitchers. He's mustered an uninspiring .157/.246/.255 slash line over 57 plate appearances since being called up from Triple-A Memphis on May 29. Until Crooks begins to pick up the pace at the plate, he could be in store for a limited role as part of a three-way timeshare at catcher with Pedro Pages and Ivan Herrera.
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Cardinals' Jimmy Crooks: Sitting out third straight
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Crooks is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Diamondbacks.
The left-handed-hitting Crooks didn't start the previous two days due to Arizona having a lefty on the mound. He's absent from Thursday's lineup because Ivan Herrera has been Michael McGreevy's personal catcher this season. Crooks had started six of seven contests prior to this three-game run with no starts, so it's been an inconsistent stretch of playing time for the rookie catcher.
Crooks is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Diamondbacks.
Arizona is sending its second lefty starter (Mitch Bratt) to the hill in as many days, and the left-handed-hitting Crooks has been left on the bench on both occasions. St. Louis will go with Pedro Pages as their starting catcher in place of Crooks.
Cardinals' Jimmy Crooks: Drives in two during win Monday
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Crooks went 1-for-3 with a double and two RBI in Monday's win over the Padres.
Crooks provided the game's biggest hit in the fourth inning, lining a two-run double off Lucas Giolito to extend St. Louis' lead. The two RBI marked the second multi-RBI game of the catcher's young career. Since being called up from Triple-A Memphis on May 29, he has gone 6-for-28 (.214) with one home run, two doubles, six RBI and two runs scored. Playing time will be inconsistent for Crooks, as he currently operates in a catching committee alongside Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages.
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Cardinals' Jimmy Crooks: Idle Sunday
Rotowire
Crooks is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Twins.
Crooks will be held out of the lineup for a second straight day, with Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages both drawing starts behind the plate in his absence. Since being called up from Triple-A Memphis on May 29, Crooks has gone 5-for-25 (.200) with one home run, four RBI and two runs.
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Cardinals' Jimmy Crooks: Launches first home run
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Crooks went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in Thursday's 5-4 loss to the Mets.
Crooks put the Cardinals ahead 4-3 in the second inning with his 374-foot blast off Christian Scott, his first long ball this season. Since he was called up May 29, Crooks has been part of a committee behind the plate with Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages, going 4-for-22 (.182) with a .614 OPS across seven games. Crooks appeared in 15 games with St. Louis in 2025, slashing .133/.152/.244 with one home run.
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Cardinals' Jimmy Crooks: Exiting lineup Wednesday
Rotowire
Crooks is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mets.
Andre Pallante has worked in a battery with Ivan Herrera for all but one of his 12 starts this season, so Crooks will take a seat while Herrera steps in behind the plate for the middle game of the series. Since being called up from Triple-A Memphis on May 29, Crooks has started in five of the Cardinals' ensuing 11 games while going 3-for-18 with a double, two walks and two RBI.
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
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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.
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