By Chris Brown / STL Baseball Today | @cbrown_STLBBT | May 29, 2016, 10:19 pm CT
Jhonny Peralta is expected to be activated before long, but won’t return to his previous role as starting shortstop. By Keith Allison / CC Image / No changes made
When Jhonny Peralta returns from mid-March left thumb surgery (after a brief delay) in the near future, he likely won’t be returning to the starting shortstop job he’s held for the last two seasons thanks to the emergence of Aledmys Diaz.
As Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports, although Diaz has some experience at other infield positions, the Cardinals want to keep playing the standout rookie at shortstop most days so that he – quite possibly the club’s long-term option at the position – can continue to develop there.
“I feel like it’s going to create a fresh opportunity for us, but I also feel like given what you’re seeing out of Diaz at his age (25) you really need to see him develop at shortstop,” Cardinals GM John Mozeliak told Goold.
[Related: Jhonny Peralta’s rehab paused after infielder cuts thumb | STLBBT]
“When you look at what he’s been able to do, seeing him hold that spot for the next five or six years is reasonable to think,” Mozeliak said. “We want to keep him developing and also figure out the right combination to win games. We need to have at least one player moving around. We need one of the veterans to say, ‘Hey, I’m willing.’”
With that in mind, the club has had discussions with Peralta and Matt Carpenter about shifting around the diamond on a day-to-day basis to accommodate what will essentially be five starting infielders (Carpenter, Peralta, Diaz, Kolten Wong, and Matt Adams) for four positions.
As Goold writes, Carpenter has already acknowledged the distinct possibility of playing time at second base (where he was the starter during his 2013 All-Star season) and/or first base (where he started on Saturday and has played 57 major league games), while it’s worth noting that Peralta has 213 games of experience at third base.
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With Jedd Gyorko and Greg Garcia also available as infield options off the bench, the club will have the opportunity to potentially ease Peralta back into action while also providing off days to Wong, Carpenter, and Diaz with the goal of keeping the infielders productive and preventing fatigue throughout the summer months.
Regardless of whether or not he returns to a regular position, though, the Cardinals will hope Peralta, a three-time All-Star and steady defender, will be a big boost to a team hovering just above .500.
