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: Sitting out day after homering
Rotowire
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: Officially added to MLB roster
Rotowire
The Cardinals selected Crooks' contract from Triple-A Memphis on Friday.
Crooks has slashed .337/.404/.518 with three home runs in August with Memphis and has hit .274/.337/.441 with 14 home runs there for the full season. The left-handed hitter could be worth a look in fantasy leagues if the Cardinals use him on the long side of a platoon at catcher with Pedro Pages. Crooks is not in the lineup for Friday's game in Cincinnati against righty Zack Littell, though the Cardinals could just be giving him a day to get settled in.
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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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Cardinals' Jimmy Crooks: Lands on IL
Rotowire
Crooks (undisclosed) was placed on Double-A Springfield's 7-day injured list Tuesday.
Crooks has excelled in Double-A this year with a .321/.411/.503 slash line, 11 home runs, 60 RBI and 40 runs scored over 86 contests. He'll be sidelined at least a week, though there was no further indication of what injury he's dealing with.
