Paul Dejong
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2018Vigilantes105426671035522032261281070.2420.2890.519
2019Vigilantes62236264627821224640050.1950.2880.398
2020Vigilantes147532751266838132421298150.2370.3100.492
2021Cougars812852552201506311082020.1820.2630.298
2022Cougars56200384130812013603040.2050.2740.555
2023Mariners2413523001241000.1540.2670.385
2023Cougars39110100060000.1110.1110.222
2024Lightning00000000000000.0000.0000.000
2025Lightning3613215232031713470140.1740.2680.371
MLB Player Data
DateNewsComment
Sep 16 2024DeJong is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Tigers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong looks to have lost hold of a regular spot in the Kansas City infield, as he'll hit the bench against a right-handed starting pitcher (Reese Olson) for the fourth time in the last five games. Adam Frazier will enter the lineup at third base in place of DeJong, who is getting on base at a .154 clip with a 30.8 percent strikeout rate since the start of September.
Sep 14 2024DeJong isn't in the Royals' lineup Saturday versus Pittsburgh. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong will sit for the second consecutive game after going 3-for-21 with an RBI and eight strikeouts to begin the month of September. Maikel Garcia will step in as Kansas City's third baseman and bat eighth.
Sep 13 2024DeJong is out of the lineup for Friday's game against Pittsburgh. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong is out of the lineup for the third time in four games, with Adam Frazier slotting in at third base Friday. Since being dealt to Kansas City, DeJong has slashed .239/.294/.467 across 30 games. However, he's merely 3-for-19 in September.
Sep 11 2024DeJong is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Yankees. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong will hit the bench for the second time in three games while he's gotten off to a 3-for-19 start to September. Since joining the Royals ahead of the trade deadline, DeJong has put together a respectable .244/.300/.478 slash line, so the team likely isn't ready to pull the plug on him just yet as a near-everyday player.
Sep 9 2024DeJong is not in the starting lineup for Monday's game against the Yankees. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong has gone 3-for-26 with one home run and 13 strikeouts over his last eight games, so he'll begin Monday's game on the bench while he's slumping at the plate. Maikel Garcia will check in for DeJong at third base and will bat seventh.
Sep 6 2024DeJong is not in Friday's lineup against the Twins. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong has seemingly taken over the primary third base duties of late, with Maikel Garcia often manning second base and Michael Massey seeing time at designated hitter. In Friday's arrangement, however, DeJong is the odd man out against righty Zebby Matthews.
Sep 1 2024DeJong is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Astros. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong started the past six games and will receive a breather after going 5-for-21 with three homers and 12 strikeouts during that span. Maikel Garcia will step in at the hot corner in the series finale at Houston.
Aug 31 2024DeJong went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and a walk in Friday's 3-2 loss to the Astros. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong's game-tying homer off Josh Hader in the top of the ninth inning was just the second hit of the game for the Royals. Over his last 13 games, DeJong has gone 14-for-45 (.311) with five homers, three doubles, 10 RBI and 10 runs scored, though he's struck out 19 times in that span. For the year, DeJong is at a .238/.289/.458 slash line with 24 homers, 55 RBI, 52 runs scored, two stolen bases and 17 doubles over 124 games between the Royals and White Sox. His recent results are encouraging, but a continually high strikeout rate makes him prone to regression.
Aug 28 2024DeJong went 1-for-2 with a two-run homer and a walk in Tuesday's 6-1 victory over Cleveland. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Kansas City infielder opened the game's scoring when he launched a 395-foot, two-run homer off Gavin Williams in the second inning for his fifth long ball with the Royals. DeJong continues to swing a sizzling bat with his new club, hitting .304 (17-for-56) with 12 RBI, 10 runs scored and 7:20 BB:K across 19 games. He is playing roughly two-thirds of the time as he splits at-bats on the infield with Maikel Garcia and Michael Massey. Overall, DeJong is slashing .239/.290/.458 in 427 plate appearances this season with the Royals and White Sox.
Aug 27 2024DeJong went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a walk and an additional run scored in a 9-4 win over the Guardians in Game 2 of Monday's doubleheader. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong didn't play in the matinee, but he was able to make an impact while starting at third base in the nightcap. The infielder has gone 11-for-32 (.344) with three homers, three doubles and six RBI over his last nine contests. For the season, he has a .238/.288/.450 slash line with 22 homers, 51 RBI, 48 runs scored, 17 doubles and two stolen bases over 120 games between the Royals and the White Sox. DeJong is not an everyday player in Kansas City, but he hasn't been limited to platoon duties since Maikel Garcia occasionally shifts over to cover second base.
Aug 26 2024DeJong is out of the lineup for the first game of Monday's doubleheader with the Guardians. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Maikel Garcia will step in at third base while DeJong heads to the bench for the opening game of the twin bill. Since being acquired from the White Sox on July 30, DeJong has slashed an impressive .280/.339/.520 over 17 games with the Royals, which has resulted in him poaching some playing time in the infield from Garcia and Michael Massey.
Aug 24 2024DeJong isn't in the Royals' lineup for Saturday's game against Philadelphia. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After going 2-for-3 with an RBI in Friday's win, DeJong will get a breather Saturday. Maikel Garcia will get the starting nod at the hot corner and bat leadoff.
Aug 21 2024DeJong is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Angels. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong will hit the bench after he had started in five of the past six games while going 7-for-20 with two home runs and two doubles. Though he'll give way to Maikel Garcia in the series finale, DeJong may be the Royals' preferred option of the two at third base while he's swinging a hotter bat at the moment. Garcia has turned in a weak .575 OPS since the beginning of August and was on the bench in each of the Royals' previous three matchups with right-handers.
Aug 19 2024DeJong went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer in Monday's 5-3 win over the Angels. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The veteran infielder extended his team's lead to 3-0 when he launched a 397-foot, two-run homer off starter Carson Fulmer in the fourth inning. DeJong has fared well with Kansas City since arriving during the July 30 trade deadline, hitting .316 (12-for-38) with three homers, eight RBI, seven runs scored and 4:13 BB:K across 13 games. Overall, the 31-year-old veteran is slashing .237/.286/.448 in 406 plate appearances this season while playing for the Royals and White Sox.
Aug 14 2024DeJong went 3-for-3 with a solo home run, a double, a walk and two total runs scored in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Twins. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong had gone just 1-for-11 over his last six games before breaking out of the slump Wednesday. The infielder reached the 20-homer mark for the first time since he hit 30 in 2019. He's added a .235/.285/.442 slash line with 46 RBI, 44 runs scored, 15 doubles and two stolen bases across 112 contests between the Royals and White Sox. DeJong's big game could help him earn more playing time, but he's unlikely to be anywhere near an everyday player in the Royals' crowded infield.
Aug 7 2024DeJong is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Red Sox. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong will take a seat for the third game in a row, including a second straight matchup versus a right-hander (Kutter Crawford). Though he's produced a home run and two walks in his four starts since joining the Royals a week ago, DeJong looks like he'll have to settle for more of a part-time role in Kansas City while he's part of a much more talented infield than the one he occupied in Chicago earlier in the season.
Aug 6 2024DeJong is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Red Sox. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong started at third base in four of the Royals' first five games after being traded from the White Sox, but he's now been withheld from the starting lineup for back-to-back contests. Maikel Garcia will play the hot corner while Michael Massey plays the keystone.
Aug 5 2024DeJong is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Red Sox. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong had started in three consecutive games, going 3-for-11 with a home run and four RBI during that stretch. However, he'll give way to Maikel Garcia at third base Monday.
Aug 4 2024DeJong went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 6-5 extra-innings loss to the Tigers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong has started three of the Royals' last four games at third base and looks to be the team's top option there. Maikel Garcia provides the Royals with infield flexibility, and DeJong's increased role has led to a drop in playing time for second baseman Michael Massey. DeJong has gone 10-for-26 during his active eight-game hitting streak that dates back to July 25 when he was with the White Sox. For the year, he's produced a .233/.279/.437 slash line, 19 homers, 45 RBI, 41 runs scored, two stolen bases and 14 doubles over 105 contests. For now, it looks like manager Matt Quatraro will ride the hot hand when filling out his lineup card for second base and third base.
Aug 1 2024DeJong isn't in the Royals' lineup for Thursday's game against the Tigers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong went 1-for-3 with a walk and scored a run during his Royals debut Wednesday, and he'll now take a seat for Thursday's series opener. Maikel Garcia will slide to third base while Michael Massey starts at second, opening up the DH spot for Freddy Fermin.
Jul 30 2024The Royals acquired DeJong from the White Sox for right-hander Jarold Rosado on Tuesday, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Timesreports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The two teams are currently in the midst of a three-game series in Chicago, so DeJong will simply head to the other clubhouse. The veteran shortstop likely won't see much time at his natural position due to the presence of Bobby Witt, but DeJong could see action at second and third base. DeJong has a .228/.275/.430 slash line with 18 homers in 102 games this season and is likely to see less consistent playing time for the Royals than he did with the last-place White Sox.
Jul 28 2024DeJong went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run Sunday against the Mariners. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong blasted a two-run homer in the seventh inning for his 18th home run of the season. That extended his hitting streak to four games, during which he has three extra-base hits, the other two being doubles. DeJong is a potential trade candidate, but the White Sox are giving him near everyday playing time for the time being at a combination of third base and shortstop.
Jul 25 2024DeJong is not in the lineup for Thursday's contest versus the Rangers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong will sit out Thursday's matinee after starting each of the first three games of the series. Nick Senzel will occupy third base for the White Sox.
Jul 23 2024DeJong went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's extra-inning loss against the Rangers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong managed his second homer of the month and 17th of the season Monday. However, he has slumped significantly in July, hitting .163 with a 31.5 percent strikeout rate across 15 games. DeJong also has the potential to slip into a part-time role due to the promotion of Brooks Baldwin, though he has still managed to start three of the last four games in a split between shortstop and third base.
Jul 21 2024DeJong is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong started the previous 12 games but will sit Sunday after he posted a .143 average and 32.6 percent strikeout rate during that span. The veteran shortstop has made just one of his past four starts at the position, as he's seen more action at third base of late while Nicky Lopez works more at shortstop. DeJong is a prime candidate to be traded ahead of the July 30 deadline, but he's hurting his trade value with a .442 OPS this month.
Jul 10 2024DeJong will start at third base and bat seventh in the first game of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Twins. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong played plenty of third base in the minors, but he'll be making his first start at the hot corner at the major-league level. Meanwhile, Nicky Lopez is at shortstop and Lenyn Sosa is at second base. Seemingly, the shakeup is tied to Yoan Moncada (adductor) beginning a rehab assignment this week, as Sosa could see more reps at second base once Moncada returns from the 60-day injured list.
Jul 4 2024DeJong went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run during Thursday's 8-4 loss to the Guardians. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong took Ben Lively yard in the sixth inning, bringing Gavin Sheets around to score. DeJong is up to 16 home runs on the year and owns a .219 ISO, his best tally since 2017. The veteran shortstop is 9-for-35 (.257) with a pair of homers, six RBI and five runs scored over his last nine games.
Jul 3 2024DeJong is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Guardians. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 30-year-old will get the night off Wednesday after making 11 consecutive starts at shortstop. Nicky Lopez will fill in for DeJong at short while Danny Mendick plays second base. DeJong owns a .731 OPS with 15 home runs across 290 plate appearances.
Jun 29 2024DeJong went 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored in Saturday's 11-3 win over the Rockies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong gave the White Sox the lead on a two-run home run in the sixth and added an RBI single and a run scored in the eighth. This was the shortstop's second multi-hit game in a row, and he is now second at the position in home runs on the season with 15. The 30-year-old is also hitting .241 with 34 RBI and 33 runs scored over 280 plate appearances in 2024.
Jun 20 2024DeJong is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Astros. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He'll receive a breather for the day game after a night game, opening up a turn at shortstop for Nicky Lopez. DeJong had started each of the White Sox's previous 21 games and was one of the team's most productive hitters over that stretch, batting .235 with 11 extra-base hits (seven home runs, four doubles), 12 RBI and 10 runs.
Jun 16 2024DeJong went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Saturday's win over the Diamondbacks. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong put the White Sox ahead with a leadoff home run in the top of the fourth and added a single in the following frame, giving him his second straight multi-hit game. The shortstop is now up to 14 home runs on the campaign, with six of them coming this month and four coming over his last eight games. DeJong has also recorded multiple hits in six of his last nine contests.
Jun 11 2024DeJong went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional run scored in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Mariners. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong is up to 13 homers on the year, six of which he's hit over his last 11 contests. He went back-to-back with Andrew Vaughn in the third inning of Tuesday's contest, though that's where the White Sox's scoring ended. DeJong is up to a .240/.290/.490 slash line with 28 RBI, 28 runs scored, two stolen bases and 11 doubles over 62 contests while seeing a starting role at shortstop.
Jun 9 2024DeJong went 2-for-3 with a double and a three-run home run during Sunday's 6-4 loss to the Red Sox in 10 innings. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong has been on a tear across the White Sox's last three series, launching five homers in nine games, and Sunday's multi-hit performance was his fourth during that stretch. The veteran shortstop is amidst a bit of a career revival during his first season in Chicago, slashing .238/.287/.482 -- each mark of which would be his best since 2020.
Jun 8 2024DeJong went 2-for-4 with a solo home run Saturday against the Red Sox. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong provided some insurance with a home run in the seventh inning, his 11th of the season and fourth in his last eight starts. He has only seven total hits in that span, illustrating his dependence on the long ball to provide any fantasy value. Overall, DeJong is hitting .234/284/.463 across 204 plate appearances on the campaign.
Jun 5 2024DeJong went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 7-6 loss to the Cubs. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong is hitting for power with three homers over his last five contests, though he's gone a modest 4-for-18 in that span. The shortstop is up to 10 long balls this season, just four shy of matching his total from 112 contests in 2023. DeJong has added a .226/.276/.446 slash line, 21 RBI, 23 runs scored and two stolen bases over 56 games. He's not a particularly well-rounded hitter, but he's done enough to maintain a starting job.
Jun 3 2024DeJong went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and two RBI on Sunday against the Brewers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong began the day with a sacrifice fly in the first inning and popped a leadoff homer three frames later. He went deep four times in a 12-game span through mid-May and has now gone yard twice in the last three games. DeJong has a 34.2 percent strikeout rate across 184 plate appearances this season, which will prevent consistent production, but he's hit .245 with a .766 OPS and six home runs since the start of May.
Jun 1 2024DeJong went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a double Friday against the Brewers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong led off the third inning with a solo home run, his eighth long ball of the season and first since May 20. In the 10 games since, he's hit just .182 with a 35.1 percent strikeout rate. Nevertheless, DeJong is locked into a near everyday role at shortstop and has maintained .202 ISO with a 103 wRC+ across 176 plate appearances on the campaign.
May 26 2024DeJong is out of the lineup for Sunday's series finale against the Orioles. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong will take a seat Sunday after playing in the first three games of the series, going 2-for-10 with two RBI while striking out five times. Zach Remillard will start at shortstop Sunday and bat eighth against Orioles right-hander Kyle Bradish.
May 20 2024DeJong went 3-for-4 with a homer, a stolen base, two RBI and two runs scored in Monday's loss to Toronto. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong cracked his seventh home run of the season in the fourth inning, hitting it 402 feet to center. The Chicago shortstop has enjoyed a hot start to May, hitting .288 (17-for-59) with four homers, 12 runs scored and eight RBI this month. Overall, DeJong is slashing .246/.295/.462 in 139 plate appearances while playing shortstop every day for the White Sox.
May 14 2024DeJong is out of the lineup for the first game of a doubleheader against the Nationals on Tuesday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 30-year-old will give way to Braden Shewmake at shortstop. DeJong will likely re-enter the lineup for the nightcap with a southpaw (Mitchell Parker) set to start for the Nationals.
May 10 2024DeJong went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and two runs scored Friday against the Guardians. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong smacked his sixth home run of the season, three of which have come in his last four games. He's performed well in addition to the long balls of late, as he has at least one hit in eight of his last ten starts, and he's also chipped in six RBI and nine runs scored in that span. DeJong has taken over as the White Sox's primary shortstop, and he should continue to get playing time so long as he keeps hitting well.
May 9 2024DeJong went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and an additional run in Wednesday's 4-1 victory versus the Rays. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong accounted for half of Chicago's runs with his two-run blast to left field in the fifth inning. It was the second straight contest with a long ball for the veteran shortstop following a 16-game homerless drought. DeJong has multiple hits in three of his past four games and has gone 6-for-15 with four RBI, five runs and four extra-base hits over that stretch.
May 8 2024DeJong went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 5-1 loss to the Rays. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The veteran shortstop snapped a 16-game homer drought with his seventh-inning shot off Zach Eflin, but it was all the offense the White Sox could muster. DeJong had a brutal start to the season, but has begun to provide some consistent production over the last couple weeks, batting .263 (10-for-38) over his last 11 contests with three doubles, four RBI and six runs, but his 1:13 BB:K over that stretch highlights how quickly even that moderate level of success could evaporate. On the season, DeJong is slashing .228/.276/.435 with four homers and eight RBI.
Apr 28 2024DeJong is not in the lineup for Sunday's game versus Tampa Bay. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong started the previous six contests but will take a seat Sunday after he went 3-for-22 with 11 strikeouts during that stretch. Braden Shewmake will start at shortstop and bat ninth.
Apr 22 2024DeJong (arm) will start at shortstop and bat sixth in Monday's game against the Twins. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong went unused in Sunday's 8-2 loss to the Phillies after being hit in the left arm by a pitch a day earlier, but his absence for the series finale in Philadelphia might have been precautionary more than anything. He'll take back his usual spot at shortstop Monday while Nicky Lopez shifts over to second base.
Apr 21 2024DeJong is out of the lineup for Sunday's game at Philadelphia. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong exited Saturday's contest after being hit by a pitch in the left arm and will be held out of the lineup for at least one game. Nicky Lopez will take over at shortstop for Sunday's series finale.
Apr 20 2024DeJong was lifted from Saturday's game against the Phillies after being hit on the left arm by a pitch, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong initially stayed in the game after being struck by a Zack Wheeler offering in the top of the fifth inning, but he was eventually removed prior to the bottom of the sixth. He is likely being sent for tests, with more information on his condition possibly available after the contest.
Apr 17 2024DeJong went 5-for-6 with a walk, a double and a two-run homer across both games of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Royals. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The veteran shortstop provided Chicago's only runs in Game 1 with a two-run home run during the second inning, and he collected two more singles in the nightcap. DeJong entered the day with a .618 OPS through 13 games this season, but the five-hit barrage raised his season slash line to .275/.293/.600.
Apr 10 2024DeJong is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Guardians. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: On the bench for the third time in four games, DeJong seems to have fallen into a part-time or backup role in the wake of his slow start to the season. Through 24 plate appearances, DeJong is slashing .167/.167/.458 with 13 strikeouts. Braden Shewmake will get another turn in the middle infield while DeJong is out of the lineup.
Apr 8 2024DeJong is absent from the lineup for Monday's game versus the Guardians, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong and Braden Shewmake have been sharing shortstop for the White Sox this season. It will be Shewmake at short in this one for the second straight contest.
Apr 7 2024DeJong is out of the lineup for Sunday's game at Kansas City. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong started the first two games of the series but will head to the bench for Sunday's finale after going 1-for-6 with a double and three strikeouts. Braden Shewmake will receive the start at shortstop as the pair continue to split playing time.
Apr 3 2024DeJong is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against Atlanta. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong will take a seat against a right-handed starting pitcher (Spencer Strider) for the second day in a row and looks to be moving into a short-side platoon role at shortstop with the lefty-hitting Braden Shewmake. DeJong has just two hits through 11 at-bats this season, though both knocks have been solo home runs.
Apr 2 2024DeJong is absent from Tuesday's lineup versus Atlanta. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong is 1-for-9 with seven strikeouts on the young season, although that one hit was a home run. Braden Shewmake will fill in for DeJong at shortstop Tuesday.
Mar 30 2024DeJong is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Tigers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: With the Tigers sending out right-hander Kenta Maeda, the White Sox will start lefty hitter Braden Shewmake at shortstop Saturday. DeJong was the shortstop for Opening Day on Thursday, and he finished 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.
Feb 24 2024The White Sox envision DeJong as their starting shortstop to begin the 2024 season, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong signed a deal with the White Sox early in the offseason, though he presents a curious fit for a rebuilding club. Nevertheless, the team is set on him starting the season at shortstop, pairing with Nicky Lopez in the middle infield. DeJong has failed to post a wRC+ of at least 100 since the 2019 season
Nov 21 2023DeJong signed a one-year contract Tuesday with the White Sox, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong batted just .207 with a .612 OPS over 112 games (400 plate appearances) this past year between the Cardinals, Blue Jays and Giants, but he's a former All-Star with some power in his bat and a strong defensive reputation at shortstop. The 30-year-old right-handed hitter could maybe form an early-season platoon at short with the left-handed-hitting Nicky Lopez, whom the White Sox acquired from Atlanta last week. Top shortstop prospect Colson Montgomery is expected to take over the position at some point in 2024.
Sep 21 2023DeJong was released by the Giants on Thursday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Even with Brandon Crawford (hamstring) likely to miss the remainder of the regular season, the Giants are cutting bait with DeJong and summoning Marco Luciano and Tyler Fitzgerald from Triple-A Sacramento. DeJong was already an impending free agent and has batted just .207/.258/.355 in 400 plate appearances this year between St. Louis, Toronto and San Francisco.
Sep 3 2023DeJong is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Padres. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong is sitting for the third time in four games and has likely seen his brief run as the Giants' primary shortstop come to an end. Brandon Crawford was activated from the 10-day injured list Friday, and rookie Casey Schmitt has also shown the ability to play shortstop on days the lefty-hitting Crawford exits the lineup against southpaws.
Aug 31 2023DeJong is not in the lineup Thursday at San Diego. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Casey Schmitt will start at shortstop and bat ninth for the visiting Giants. DeJong has gone 3-for-25 (.120) through his first seven games with San Francisco after a 3-for-44 (.068) run with Toronto.
Aug 23 2023DeJong went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBI in Wednesday's 8-6 win over the Phillies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong made an immediate impact in his Giants debut, launching a two-run homer off Michael Lorenzen in the fourth inning before putting San Francisco ahead 7-5 in the 10th inning with a two-run single. It was quite a performance from DeJong, who was DFA'd by the Blue Jays after going just 3-for-50 (.060) in his last 15 games. Overall, the 30-year-old DeJong's slashing .216/.273/.378 with 14 homers, 40 runs scored and 37 RBI across 355 plate appearances between San Francisco, Toronto and St. Louis this season. While it's been hard to rely on consistent fantasy production from DeJong, he could see a regular role with the Giants while Brandon Crawford (forearm) is sidelined.
Aug 22 2023DeJong signed a major-league contract with the Giants on Tuesday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong has found a new home just one day after being released by the Blue Jays, who had acquired him from the Cardinals at the Aug. 1 trade deadline. The 30-year-old went 3-for-44 (.068) with zero extra-base hits in 13 games for Toronto, but he could immediately become the primary starter at shortstop in San Francisco, or at least share playing time with Johan Camargo. Brandon Crawford has had a rough year at age 36 and landed on the 10-day injured list Sunday because of a left forearm strain.
Aug 19 2023DeJong was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays on Saturday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong was picked up from the Cardinals at the deadline to cover for Bo Bichette, who had just suffered a knee injury at the time. DeJong hit a miserable .068/.068/.068 in his 13 games as a Blue Jay, and the team decided it wasn't worth keeping him around in a bench role now that Bichette is healthy. DeJong has more name value than most players who wind up getting designated for assignment, but his .207/.277/.355 slash line over the last four seasons may keep interest muted on the waiver wire.
Aug 18 2023DeJong is not in the lineup Friday against the Reds. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Santiago Espinal will start at shortstop and bat eighth. DeJong has gone 3-for-44 (.068) with zero walks and 18 strikeouts in 13 games since the Blue Jays acquired him from the Cardinals at the Aug. 1 trade deadline.
Aug 2 2023DeJong is starting at shortstop and batting eighth in his Blue Jays debut Wednesday versus the Orioles. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Acquired from the Cardinals ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline, DeJong should get something close to everyday starts at short for the Jays while Bo Bichette recovers from a bout of patellar tendinitis in his right knee. DeJong, 30, was slashing .233/.297/.412 with 13 home runs and four stolen bases through 81 games this season for St. Louis.
Aug 1 2023Toronto acquired DeJong in a trade with the Cardinals on Tuesday, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: St. Louis will get right-hander Matt Svanson in return, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network. This could just be a depth move for the Blue Jays, or DeJong might be pressed into starting duties at shortstop after Bo Bichette left Monday's series opener against the Orioles due to right knee discomfort. DeJong's season slash lines are all over the map since he arrived in the majors in 2017, but he has good power and plays solid defense. The soon-to-be 30-year-old is making $9.2 million this season and carries a $12.5 million club option (or $2 million buyout) for the 2024 campaign.
Jul 27 2023DeJong is not in the lineup Thursday against the Cubs. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Taylor Motter will start at shortstop in DeJong's stead and will bat ninth. A potential trade chip for the Cardinals with the Aug. 1 deadline fast approaching, DeJong holds a .728 OPS with 13 home runs in 77 games this season.
Jul 20 2023DeJong went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Thursday's 7-2 win against the Cubs. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong plated the final runs for the Cardinals in the contest with his two-run shot to right field in the fifth inning. The long ball ended an 18-game homerless stretch for the shortstop during which he knocked in just five runs. DeJong is batting just .238 on the season, though his 13 homers rank fourth on the team.
Jul 3 2023DeJong went 2-for-3 with a double, one RBI and a stolen base in Monday's 5-4 loss to the Marlins. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong had gone just 6-for-29 (.207) over his previous 10 games, though he homered twice and drove in five runs in that span. His steal Monday was his first since May 23 and his fourth of the season. The shortstop is slashing .237/.309/.460 with 12 home runs, 27 RBI, 30 runs scored and eight doubles through 58 contests. He continues to play regularly, though he'll get the occasional day off when Tommy Edman gets a turn at shortstop.
Jul 2 2023DeJong is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Yankees, Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong started the past three games and will hit the bench after going 1-for-9 with three walks, an RBI and a run during that stretch. Tommy Edman will shift to shortstop while Alec Burleson starts in the outfield.
Jun 28 2023DeJong is out of the lineup Wednesday versus the Astros. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong has slugged three home runs over his last seven games while improving his season OPS to .764, but he'll take a seat Wednesday as the Cardinals deploy Tommy Edman at shortstop and Lars Nootbaar in center field.
Jun 21 2023DeJong went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer and a walk in Tuesday's win over the Nationals. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong took Hunter Harvey deep to center in the ninth to extend the Cardinals' lead to 9-2. He now has two homers in his last three games and has tallied at least a base knock in six straight contests. DeJong continues to receive the lion's share of starts at shortstop and is now slashing .235/.305/.465 with 11 homers, 23 RBI, 28 runs and a 14:55 BB:K over 187 plate appearances.
Jun 18 2023DeJong went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 8-7 win over the Mets. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After slumping a bit last week, DeJong has rebounded to go 6-for-23 (.261) with two homers over his last six games. The shortstop's third-inning blast gave the Cardinals a 6-4 lead Sunday. For the season, he's at a .228/.298/.444 slash line with 10 homers, 21 RBI, 25 runs scored and three stolen bases over 46 contests. With Tommy Edman taking over in center field, DeJong has seen an extended run as the starting shortstop despite his mediocre work at the plate in recent weeks.
Jun 13 2023DeJong went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Monday's 4-3 loss to the Giants. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong's hot start to his season disappeared quickly. During his 16-game homer drought, he hit just .125 (7-for-56) with one double and one RBI. The shortstop has historically had trouble maintaining a hot bat for extended stretches, so this should come as no surprise. The slump has him down to a .231/.308/.455 slash line with nine homers, 20 RBI, 23 runs scored and three stolen bases through 41 contests.
May 24 2023DeJong is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Reds. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: This is a rare day off for DeJong, who has hit his way back into an everyday role with a .291/.371/.616 slash line through 97 plate appearances. He's sitting on eight homers, 18 RBI, three steals and 21 runs scored in 25 games. Tommy Edman will cover shortstop and bat seventh Wednesday versus Cincinnati.
May 23 2023DeJong went 1-for-3 with a stolen base and two runs scored in Tuesday's 8-5 win over the Reds. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong didn't contribute an RBI after logging four of them in each of the last two games, but he still had a solid effort. The shortstop's gone 7-for-23 (.304) over his last seven contests, and he's batting .291 with a .987 OPS, eight home runs, three steals, 18 RBI and 21 runs scored through 25 games overall.
May 21 2023DeJong went 2-for-3 with a home run, a walk, four RBI and four runs scored in Sunday's 10-5 win over the Dodgers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong had an RBI single in the fifth inning and capped off the Cardinals' scoring with a three-run blast in the seventh. The shortstop had gone just 4-for-31 over his previous nine games before a monster effort Sunday. For the season, he's slashing .282/.364/.590 with seven homers, 14 RBI, 18 runs scored and two stolen bases across 88 plate appearances.
May 18 2023DeJong went 1-for-5 with a homer in Thursday's win over the Dodgers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: For the second straight night, DeJong connected for a homer. The shortstop has homered six times in just 20 games. He probably won't top 30 home runs for the first time since 2019, but he is on pace for a monster season. His .923 OPS ranks second in St. Louis.
May 14 2023DeJong went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Sunday's 9-1 win over the Red Sox. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong's second-inning solo shot put the Cardinals ahead for good. The 29-year-old has started six straight games at shortstop, going 6-for-22 (.273) in that span. He's started to cool off a bit, as that stretch has lowered his slash line to .309/.367/.582 across 60 plate appearances this season. He's hit for solid power with four homers through 16 contests, and he's added seven RBI, nine runs scored, a stolen base and three doubles.
May 12 2023DeJong went 0-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored in Friday's 8-6 win over the Red Sox. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong also created a run when he grounded into a double play in the sixth inning. The shortstop has posted just two hitless efforts across his seven games in May. He's up to a .340/.404/.596 slash line with three home runs, six RBI, eight runs scored, three doubles and a steal through 14 contests this season. He'll likely continue to play on the short side of a platoon at shortstop, with Tommy Edman shifting over there against right-handed pitchers to allow Nolan Gorman to start at second base.
May 9 2023DeJong went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, an additional RBI and a walk in Tuesday's 6-4 win over the Cubs. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong drew a bases-loaded walk to give the Cardinals a 4-1 lead in the third inning. That lead didn't hold, but the shortstop put St. Louis ahead for good with a solo shot in the ninth inning, his third homer of the season. He's also racked up five multi-hit efforts in 12 contests, resulting in a .350/.409/.650 slash line with six RBI and six runs scored through 44 plate appearances. He's seeing more than just a short-side platoon role, but the Cardinals' shuffle of Willson Contreras to designated hitter means Nolan Gorman will likely push Tommy Edman to shortstop more often in the coming weeks, which could limit DeJong's playing time if he cools off at the plate.
May 3 2023DeJong is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Angels. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong has been a fairly regular presence at shortstop for the Cardinals since his April 23 return from the injured list, but he'll take a seat Tuesday versus the Angels and Shohei Ohtani. Tommy Edman is playing short and batting ninth. Brendan Donovan is at second base and hitting eighth.
Apr 28 2023DeJong is starting at shortstop again Friday versus the Dodgers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: That's now three straight starts at short for DeJong, and he has been in the Cardinals' starting lineup for five of a possible six games since his activation from the injured list last Saturday. The 29-year-old former All-Star has gone 8-for-17 (.471) with two home runs and two doubles. Tommy Edman is on the bench Friday at Dodger Stadium.
Apr 27 2023DeJong went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and an additional run scored in a 6-0 victory versus San Francisco on Thursday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong smacked a two-run shot in the eighth inning and scored St. Louis' final run of the game in the ninth. The veteran infielder has recorded multiple hits in three of his five games this season and is slashing .471/.471/.941 through 21 plate appearances. He missed the beginning of the campaign with a back injury but has started four of the Cardinals' five games since his return.
Apr 5 2023DeJong (back) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Single-A Palm Beach on Thursday, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong will be eased back into game action as a designated hitter, with the 29-year-old likely to receive three plate appearances Thursday. Before he's deemed ready to return from the 10-day injured list, DeJong will likely need to play at least a couple games in the field. He could see time at both shortstop and second base as the Cardinals prepare him for the utility infield role he'll likely fill upon being activated.
Apr 3 2023DeJong (back) will begin a rehab assignment with Low-A Peoria later this week, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The exact day hasn't been ironed out yet, but DeJong is poised for game action as he works his way back from a back injury. Barring any setbacks, he should return as a backup infielder for the Cardinals later this month.
Mar 30 2023DeJong (back) was placed on the 10-day injured list Thursday, retroactive to March 27. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong is expected to miss the first handful of weeks of the 2023 regular season after suffering a lower-back injury in mid-March. He'll probably be a bench player even when he does return to the Cardinals' active roster.
Mar 29 2023DeJong (back) took some swings and fielded light grounders off a pitching machine in Florida on Wednesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong is slowly ramping things back up after he had a setback with his back last week. He'll begin the season on the injured list and seems likely a good bet to be sidelined for a handful of weeks.
Mar 20 2023DeJong (back) said Monday that he expects to begin the season on the injured list, Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong had been slated to return to Grapefruit League play in the designated hitter spot Tuesday, but he had a setback with his lower-back injury while fielding grounders Monday. He doesn't expect to be able to get into another spring game, so being ready for Opening Day isn't realistic. With DeJong out, the Cardinals could consider carrying Taylor Motter as a backup at shortstop behind Tommy Edman.
Mar 17 2023DeJong (back) is making progress but there's no timetable for his return to games, Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong is dealing with some lower-back tightness. It's notable that Brendan Donovan has been seeing some action at shortstop lately, which could be an indication the Cardinals think they could need him as a backup there in the event DeJong isn't ready for Opening Day.
Mar 15 2023Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said DeJong will be "sidelined for a few days" while the shortstop contends with back tightness, John Denton of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong was pulled from the lineup ahead of the Cardinals' Grapefruit League game Tuesday versus the Astros due to the injury, which Marmol said is bothering the 29-year-old when he's bending over to field grounders. The skipper noted that the issue isn't bothering DeJong at the plate, so it's possible that he'll still be able to get at-bats in spring games as designated hitter while he waits for the back tightness to dissipate.
Mar 14 2023DeJong is being evaluated for lower-back tightness, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: That's the reason for his late removal from the Cardinals' Grapefruit League lineup Tuesday. DeJong is considered day-to-day for now. Masyn Winn will start at shortstop and bat eighth against the Astros.
Mar 6 2023DeJong, who has been dealing with fatigue in his right arm, will be back at shortstop Tuesday for a Grapefruit League contest against the Tigers, John Denton of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong has been limited to designated hitter as of late while dealing with the fatigue, but he's been cleared to return to the infield. The 29-year-old is attempting to win a utility role with St. Louis to begin the 2023 season with Tommy Edman expected to get most of the reps at shortstop this season.
Mar 2 2023DeJong (arm) was cleared to resume full throwing Thursday, John Denton of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong has been limited to designated hitter so far in Grapefruit League games because of some right arm fatigue, but it appears he's now received full clearance. With Tommy Edman slated to serve as the Cardinals' everyday shortstop in 2023, DeJong is looking at a utility infielder role.
Feb 27 2023Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Monday that DeJong (arm) will take part in light throwing across the diamond for the next couple of days before slowly ramping back up to full throwing, John Denton of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong may be a week or more away from being ready to play shortstop in spring games, but his bout with what the team is describing as a case of "dead arm" won't prevent him from getting in at-bats during Grapefruit League play. He's slated to serve as the Cardinals' designated hitter and No. 5 batter in Monday's game against the Mets in what will mark his second appearance of the exhibition slate.
Feb 25 2023DeJong is dealing with dead arm, but the Cardinals aren't particularly concerned, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The issue is being framed as nothing more than the usual soreness that affects many players at the start of camp. DeJong won't throw Saturday and won't take the field in game action for a few days, but he's able to serve as the designated hitter. The Cardinals hope he'll play the field by next weekend.
Feb 20 2023DeJong has removed a high leg kick from his swing, John Denton of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong has a tumultuous 2022, which saw him in and out of the mix for the starting shortstop job. He ended the campaign with a paltry .157/.245/.286 slash line across 77 games in the majors, which prompted him to work on his plate mechanics during the offseason. DeJong figures to be in competition for a spot on the major-league roster throughout spring training -- a number of moving parts in the infield, such as where Tommy Edman plays, will likely have an impact on DeJong's role.
Oct 2 2022DeJong has gone 4-for-36 (.111) since the start of September. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He's played in 20 games in that span, recording just one extra-base hit, an RBI double in Sunday's 7-5 loss to the Pirates. DeJong has started to regain some playing time since the Cardinals clinched a playoff spot, starting three of the last four games at shortstop. The 29-year-old is still slashing a meager .152/.241/.288 with six home runs, 25 RBI, 17 runs scored and three stolen bases through 74 contests this year, with his defense likely the only thing between him and another demotion.
Aug 28 2022DeJong is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against Atlanta, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong is on the bench for the fifth time in six games and appears to have ceded his everyday role to Brendan Donovan, who has picked up steady run of late at designated hitter and multiple infield and outfield spots while Tommy Edman has shifted over to DeJong's spot at shortstop. The downturn in playing time comes after DeJong has gone 2-for-37 with 19 strikeouts over his last 14 games.
Aug 27 2022DeJong will be on the bench Saturday against Atlanta, John Denton of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong has now sat for four of the last five games, a move that's likely linked to his .054/.167/.135 slash line over his last 13 games. He's struck out at a 45.2 percent clip during that slump. Tommy Edman will again handle shortstop in his absence.
Aug 26 2022DeJong will be on the bench Friday against Atlanta, John Denton of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong appeared to have figured things out in the minors following his early-May demotion, and he returned in late July to post an 1.108 OPS in his first 13 games back. He's fallen off a cliff since then, grabbing just two hits in his last 12 games while striking out 19 times. Tommy Edman will start at shortstop Friday for the third time in four games.
Aug 24 2022DeJong is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Cubs, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After sitting out the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader, DeJong is on the bench for a second consecutive contest, though he still appears to be the Cardinals' top option at shortstop. Since rejoining the Cardinals in late July following an extended stay at Triple-A Memphis, DeJong has produced an .800 OPS while driving in 17 runs in 23 games.
Aug 23 2022DeJong is not in the lineup for Game 2 of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Cubs, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong started the past five games and will take a seat after going 0-for-2 with a walk during the Cardinals' loss in Game 1. Tommy Edman will shift to shortstop in the nightcap while Brendan Donovan receives a start in the infield.
Aug 20 2022DeJong went 1-for-5 with a grand slam in Saturday's 16-7 win over the Diamondbacks. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Cardinals responded to Arizona's three-run rally in the eighth inning with an eight-run ninth, with DeJong accounting for half of that burst. His grand slam snapped an 0-for-20 skid at the plate, and it helped him avoid a sixth straight hitless game. The shortstop had hit well since his call-up from Triple-A Memphis, but the recent skid has dropped him back to a .176/.256/.359 slash line for the year. He's added six homers, 24 RBI, 15 runs scored and three stolen bases in 43 contests.
Aug 18 2022DeJong is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Rockies, according to Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong went hitless and struck out seven times over his last three games, so manager Oliver Marmol decided to hold him out for the first time this month. Tommy Edman will start at shortstop for the Cardinals on Thursday afternoon.
Aug 11 2022DeJong went 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles, one RBI and two runs scored in Wednesday's 9-5 win over the Rockies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong wasn't able to hit one out for a third straight game, but he was still a productive part of the offense. He's batting .333 since his callup July 30, with four homers, 13 RBI, eight runs scored and five doubles across 10 games in that span. He's solidified a near-everyday role at shortstop again, and the productivity should be enough to get him back on the fantasy radar.
Aug 9 2022DeJong went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and a hit-by-pitch in Tuesday's 16-5 loss to the Rockies. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong has accumulated four of his five homers this season in nine games since he was recalled from Triple-A Memphis. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, his fifth-inning blast was too late to make a real impact in a brutal blowout loss. The shortstop is still slashing a meager .162/.262/.362 while adding 19 RBI, 12 runs scored and three stolen bases through 122 plate appearances, but his recent show of power is encouraging.
Aug 7 2022DeJong went 2-for-3 with one double, one homer, four RBI and three runs scored in Sunday's win over the Yankees. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After hitting just .182 in his first seven games back from AAA, DeJong showed up in big fashion Sunday. With a home run, a double, and seven combined runs and RBI, DeJong finally showed a glimpse of his 2019 self who mashed 30 home runs. The shortstop slugged .552 in AAA this season, so it is possible he has regained his form and could provide decent power for the Cardinals down the stretch.
Aug 3 2022DeJong will start at shortstop and bat seventh in Wednesday's game against the Cubs, John Denton of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong will pick up his fourth start in as many games and looks to have settled back in as the Cardinals' primary shortstop following his recent promotion from Triple-A Memphis. Since returning from an extended stay in the minors to get right at the plate, DeJong has gone 2-for-11 with two home runs and four RBI for St. Louis.
Jul 31 2022DeJong went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 5-0 win over the Nationals. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong has carried over his power from Triple-A Memphis, homering in both games since he was recalled to the Cardinals. He's also started twice at shortstop. The 29-year-old is up to three long balls, 11 RBI, eight runs scored, three stolen bases and a .143/.213/.286 slash line through 94 plate appearances, though it appears his time in the minors has at least partially helped him get back on track.
Jul 30 2022DeJong was recalled from Triple-A Memphis on Saturday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong has been in the minors since May 10, and he slashed .249/.313/.552 with 17 home runs, 54 RBI, 36 runs and a stolen base over 51 games in Memphis. The 28-year-old will rejoin the active roster after Edmundo Sosa was traded to the Phillies on Saturday.
Jul 28 2022DeJong will be on the taxi squad and could rejoin the Cardinals' active roster for their weekend series against Washington, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong was demoted to Triple-A Memphis on May 10, with Tommy Edman taking over as the team's primary shortstop. DeJong has shown plenty of pop with Memphis, racking up 17 home runs while maintaining a .552 slugging percentage across 230 plate appearances. It's unclear what his role may be upon his return to St. Louis, but DeJong could vie for playing time at shortstop and as the designated hitter.
Jul 20 2022DeJong was named the International League Player of the Week on Tuesday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong returned from a hand injury last Tuesday and hit .364 with three home runs, 11 RBI and seven runs scored in six games. The shortstop is up to 14 homers and 17 RBI in 46 games with Triple-A Memphis. He's batting .236, but an .811 OPS shows he's been able to flex some power since he was sent down in May. A little more consistency with the bat could get the 28-year-old a look for a promotion later in the summer if the Cardinals need infield depth.
May 10 2022The Cardinals optioned DeJong to Triple-A Memphis on Tuesday, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Since slugging a career-high 30 home runs in 2019 and earning an All-Star nod, DeJong hasn't come close to replicating that performance in the two-plus seasons that have followed. He was off to an especially brutal start to the 2022 campaign, having slashed just .130/.209/.208 with a career-worst 29.1 percent strikeout rate. The Cardinals will send DeJong down to Memphis with the hope that he finds his swing and recaptures some confidence at the plate, but at least for now, his time as the big club's everyday shortstop is over. Tommy Edman is expected to slide over from second base to play shortstop in the short term, while Brendan Donovan will be first in line to get a look as St. Louis' primary option at the keystone.
May 5 2022DeJong went 0-for-2 with a walk, an RBI, a stolen base and a run scored in Wednesday's 10-0 win over the Royals. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong is now 0-for-8 over his last three games, but he was able to do provide some value Wednesday despite not recording a hit. He walked, stole second and scored in the seventh inning before adding a sacrifice fly in the eighth. The shortstop still owns a lackluster .127/.222/.222 slash line with one home runs, three stolen bases, five RBI and six runs scored through 72 plate appearances. Utility man Brendan Donovan could challenge DeJong for playing time while Edmundo Sosa (illness) is on the COVID-19 injured list.
Apr 30 2022DeJong isn't starting Saturday against Arizona. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong started in the last four games and went 2-for-15 with a run and five strikeouts. Edmundo Sosa will start at shortstop and bat ninth.
Apr 25 2022DeJong isn't starting Monday's game against the Mets, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong has gone 0-for-9 with a walk and six strikeouts in his last three appearances, and he'll be out of the lineup for the third time in the last four games. Edmundo Sosa will start at shortstop and bat seventh.
Apr 24 2022DeJong is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Reds. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong is 2-for-23 with 10 strikeouts in his past eight contests and will take a seat for the second time in the past three games. Edmundo Sosa will start at shortstop Sunday and could receive more opportunities if DeJong continues to struggle offensively. According to Katie Woo of The Athletic, DeJong also won't start Monday against Max Scherzer and the Mets as he attempts to make some mechanical adjustments to his swing.
Apr 22 2022DeJong isn't in the lineup Friday against the Reds, John Denton of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong started in the last five games and went 2-for-16 with a double, two RBI, two stolen bases, a run, two walks and five strikeouts. Edmundo Sosa will take his place at shortstop and bat eighth.
Apr 19 2022DeJong went 1-for-3 with a double, a walk, an RBI, a run and a stolen base during Tuesday's 5-1 win at Miami. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong delivered his second stolen base in as many games, which is an early-season surprise given he entered the year with only 16 steals over his five big-league campaigns. Regardless, the 28-year-old has a .185/.313/.370 slash line through nine contests and will need to improve upon those numbers to retain a starting spot over Edmundo Sosa.
Apr 17 2022DeJong went 0-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base in Sunday's 6-5 loss to the Brewers. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong's stolen base came after he got aboard on a fielder's choice in the fourth inning. It was the shortstop's first steal of the season. He's seen a starting role while hitting in the bottom third of the lineup, but he's only posted a .167/.286/.375 slash line with a home run, two doubles, three RBI and a run scored through eight games. He'll need to do more with the bat to hold off Edmundo Sosa for playing time, especially with Tommy Edman hitting well and blocking Sosa's path to starts at second base.
Apr 15 2022DeJong isn't starting Friday's game against the Brewers, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong started in each of the first five games of the season, and he hit .176 with a homer and two RBI. However, he'll get a breather while Edmundo Sosa starts at shortstop and bats eighth Friday.
Apr 9 2022DeJong went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and a walk in a 6-2 win Saturday against the Pirates. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong's two-out two-run home run in the fourth inning gave the Cardinals the lead for good. He walked and struck out twice in his other three plate appearances. After losing the starting shortstop job to Edmundo Sosa last season, the former All-Star was named the starter for 2022 after hitting .435/.536/.826 in 11 spring contests. The 28-year-old has hit sixth in the St. Louis lineup in both games to start the season.
Apr 5 2022DeJong will be the Cardinals' Opening Day shortstop, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong lost his starting role to Edmundo Sosa last year amidst a down season which saw him hit .197/.284/.390. He had to win his job back this spring, but he's managed to do so, slashing .435/.536/.826 in 11 spring games. Sosa is still around and is ready to take the job back should DeJong stumble again, but DeJong should get the majority of the playing time to start the year.
Oct 3 2021DeJong is out of the lineup Sunday against the Cubs, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 28-year-old started the past eight games at shortstop and hit .214/.258/.500 during that stretch, but he'll head to the bench for Game 162 now that Edmundo Sosa (wrist) is healthy. DeJong will enter the postseason in a reserve role for the Cardinals, barring another infield injury.
Sep 26 2021DeJong went 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI in Saturday's 8-5 win over the Cubs. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: His two-run blast off Tommy Nance in the ninth inning capped the scoring on the day for the Cards. DeJong is taking full advantage of Edmundo Sosa's absence due to a wrist injury, going yard in back-to-back games including the nightcap of Friday's doubleheader, but on the year he's still slashing just .200/.288/.400 with 19 homers, four steals, 44 runs and 45 RBI through 107 contests.
Sep 25 2021DeJong went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and two runs scored during Friday's 12-4 win over the Cubs in the second game of the doubleheader. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong was one of four Cardinals' players to hit a home run in the second game of Friday's twin bill after he took Michael Rucker deep to right in the third. The 27-year-old is slashing a lowly .185/.241/.444 with two homers, two RBI, three runs scored, a steal and 2:9 BB:K over 12 games this month as he's taken a backseat to Edmundo Sosa for the team's starting shortstop position. Sosa was banged up Friday after getting hit in the wrist by a pitch, which could afford DeJong some added playing time if Sosa is forced out with the injury.
Sep 13 2021DeJong is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Mets. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong went 2-for-10 with a solo home run and a stolen base while starting in each of the Cardinals' last four games, but he'll shift back to a bench role now that top shortstop Edmundo Sosa (wrist) is back in the lineup to begin the week. So long as Sosa stays healthy the rest of the season, DeJong likely won't be in store for more than 2-to-3 starts per week.
Sep 11 2021DeJong went 2-for-3 with a solo home run in Saturday's 6-4 win over the Reds. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong helped turn around an early deficit by putting St. Louis on the board with a 431-foot solo shot in the third inning. The long ball was his first in nearly a month, with his previous homer coming Aug. 12 against Pittsburgh. It has been a frustrating campaign overall for DeJong, who has slugged 17 homers but is slashing a meager .199/.291/.389 over 100 games.
Aug 29 2021DeJong remains out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong will sit for the fourth straight contest, and his status as a backup player was likely sealed in Saturday's 13-0 win, when Edmundo Sosa went 4-for-6 with two triples and five RBI. Sosa had earned the everyday role at shortstop while providing a 1.032 OPS in August even before Saturday's big performance, a stark contrast from the .690 mark DeJong has provided on the month.
Aug 27 2021DeJong will sit Friday against the Pirates, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong finds himself on the bench for the second game in a row and the fourth time in six games. His .674 OPS on the season, a near match for his .671 mark from last year, doesn't exactly make a strong case for everyday at-bats. Edmundo Sosa, whose .716 OPS isn't particularly good, either, will receive another start at shortstop.
Aug 26 2021DeJong is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Pirates, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong will take a seat for the third time in five games, paving the way for Edmundo Sosa to receive a turn at shortstop. The 2019 All-Star's placement atop the depth chart looks to be on shaky ground, given that he's provided a measly .550 OPS in his last 10 games and an underwhelming .641 OPS in August.
Aug 22 2021DeJong is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Pirates, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Hitting .200 in 45 at-bats since the beginning of August, DeJong sits for the second consecutive day. Edmundo Sosa is playing shortstop and batting seventh.
Aug 21 2021DeJong is not starting Saturday's game against the Pirates. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong snapped out of a three-game hitless streak with two singles Friday, and he's now hitting .250 with four extra-base hits and seven RBI in his last 10 contests. Edmundo Sosa is playing shortstop and batting seventh Saturday.
Aug 19 2021DeJong (back) went 0-for-3 with two walks in an extra-inning loss to the Brewers on Wednesday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Sidelined for the last three games due to back tightness, DeJong was able to get on twice while returning to his usual shortstop duties. DeJong had gone 0-for-3 in his last game with a plate appearance before his brief absence, but prior to that contest, he was 6-for-19 with two doubles, two home runs, five RBI, two walks and five runs over the previous five games.
Aug 18 2021DeJong (back) is starting Wednesday's game against the Brewers, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong was held out of the last three games due to back tightness, but he'll start at shortstop and bat seventh Wednesday. The 28-year-old has gone 4-for-15 with two homers, a double, six RBI, three runs and a walk across his last four appearances.
Aug 17 2021DeJong (back) will remain on the bench for Tuesday's game against the Brewers, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong hasn't played since Friday. He was scratched from Saturday's lineup due to back tightness and missed Sunday's game as well. The Cardinals had an off day Monday, but that still evidently didn't give DeJong enough time to heal, so Edmundo Sosa will make his third straight start at shortstop.
Aug 15 2021DeJong (back) remains out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Royals. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Edmundo Sosa will pick up a second straight start at shortstop in place of DeJong, who continues to manage lower-back tightness. According to Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat, DeJong appeared to be participating in baseball activities on the field ahead of the series finale, leaving the Cardinals optimistic he'll avoid the injured list. Jones adds that DeJong hasn't resumed swinging since he was scratched from the lineup ahead of Saturday's 9-4 win, but he's expected to do so in the next day or two before likely rejoining the lineup for Tuesday's series opener versus Milwaukee.
Aug 14 2021DeJong was scratched from the lineup for Saturday's game against the Royals due to a tight lower back, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: It doesn't sound as though DeJong is dealing with a serious injury, but it's not yet clear whether or not he'll be able to return Sunday. Edmundo Sosa starts at shortstop in his absence.
Aug 13 2021DeJong went 1-for-5 with a two-run homer and two strikeouts in Thursday's 7-6 win over the Pirates. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong has now logged extra-base hits in each of the last three games, and his home run in the fourth inning was his 16th of the season. The 28-year-old has also crossed the plate in four of his last five appearances, and he's gone 6-for-19 with two homers, two doubles, five runs and five RBI during that time.
Aug 10 2021DeJong went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk Tuesday against the Pirates. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong took Steven Brault deep in the second inning to record his 15th homer of the season. Prior to that shot, DeJong had managed only three hits across 29 at-bats while striking out at a 35.5 percent clip. That falls in line with what has been an unimpressive season for DeJong, as he's hitting only .199/.291/.387 with 37 runs scored and 35 RBI across 306 plate appearances.
Aug 8 2021Dejong went 2-for-3 with a double, two runs scored and a walk in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Royals. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong doubled off Brad Keller in the fourth inning and scored on a Matt Carpenter double. In addition, he scored in the sixth frame on a Lars Nootbaar single. He was the only player to reach base safely three times in the game. The 27-year-old is slashing just .201/.290/.383 but has 14 home runs, 34 RBI and 36 runs scored in 297 plate appearances. He is batting .120 with only one RBI and a pair of runs over his last seven games.
Aug 3 2021DeJong is not in the starting lineup Tuesday against Atlanta, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong will sit in favor of Edmundo Sosa for the second game in a row after going hitless in his previous 10 at-bats. The shortstop is hitting just .201/.292/.390 this season, so it wouldn't be shocking if he sees less consistent time down the stretch.
Aug 1 2021DeJong is out of the lineup Sunday against the Twins. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong started the past six games and will take a seat after going 4-for-24 with a home run, three RBI, three runs and eight strikeouts. Edmundo Sosa will work at shortstop in his place.
Jul 28 2021DeJong went 1-for-3 with a walk and a two-run home run in Tuesday's 4-2 win over Cleveland. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: His seventh-inning blast off Bryan Shaw proved to be the game-winning hit. DeJong has four of his 14 homers on the year in the last 12 games, a stretch during which he's produced a blistering .385/.429/.692 slash line.
Jul 26 2021DeJong is hitting .359 (14-for-39) with a double, three home runs, seven RBI, two walks and nine runs over his last 12 games. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong went 3-for-8 with an RBI and two runs over the last two games of the three-game weekend set against the Reds, keeping his average over the Mendoza Line (.203) for the time being. The slugging shortstop's recent surge at the plate was long overdue, considering he was hitting a miserable .157 as recently as June 24.
Jul 22 2021DeJong isn't starting Thursday's game against the Cubs, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong had crossed the plate in each of the last four games, and he went 2-for-13 with a homer, five runs and two RBI during that time. Edmundo Sosa will take over at shortstop and bat eighth.
Jul 19 2021DeJong went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Sunday's 2-1 win over the Giants. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong continued his impressive stretch at the plate with a home run off Johnny Cueto to lead off the third inning. The 27-year old is 10-for-18 over his last six games with three homers, five RBI and three runs scored. His season stats aren't worth raving over, however, as he's slashing .205/.299/.409 with 13 homers, 29 RBI, 27 runs scored, three steals and a 25:59 BB:K over 244 plate appearances but his recent performances could mean that he's in for a much more impactful second half.
Jul 17 2021DeJong went 3-for-4 in a loss to the Giants on Friday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Although all three hits were singles, but they allowed DeJong to inch ever closer to what has surprisingly been an elusive Mendoza Line. There were signs the slugging shortstop was starting to pick it up at the plate as the All-Star break approached -- he belted a pair of home runs over the last two games of the first half -- and with Friday's production, DeJong now owns a .355/.429/.613 slash line over the 35 plate appearances he's logged across 10 July contests.
Jul 10 2021DeJong went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Saturday's 6-0 win over the Cubs. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The shortstop capped off St. Louis' five-run fifth inning with his blast off Cubs reliever Dan Winkler. DeJong has now homered in back-to-back games, giving him 12 on the year. The 27-year-old still carries a disappointing .185/.286/.385 slash line with 28 RBI, 26 runs scored and three stolen bases through 234 plate appearances, but he's hit safely in six of the nine games he's played in July.
Jul 9 2021DeJong went 1-for-1 with a two-run home run in Friday's 10-5 loss to the Cubs. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The ninth-inning, pinch-hit blast to right field may have been inconsequential in the scheme of the game, but perhaps it will prove to be a confidence booster for the struggling DeJong, who recorded just his sixth extra-base hit since returning from the injured list June 11. The 27-year-old's .285 rookie campaign in 2017 may have been an outlier, but he's currently hitting a dismal .175 in 2021, which would be a career worst by a considerable margin.
Jul 7 2021DeJong is starting at shortstop and batting seventh Wednesday at San Francisco, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 27-year-old wasn't included in the Cardinals' initial starting nine for Wednesday's series finale, but he'll join the lineup with Tyler O'Neill (illness) sitting out. DeJong is hitting .164/.274/.301 with three homers, seven RBI and six runs in 24 games since returning from the injured list in mid-June.
Jul 5 2021DeJong is not in the lineup for Monday's game against the Giants, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After a 1-for-4 performance Sunday, DeJong is hitting .229 with two homers and five RBI in his last 11 games. Edmundo Sosa will get the start at shortstop Monday.
Jul 2 2021DeJong went 2-for-4 with an RBI single in a loss to the Rockies on Thursday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The struggling shortstop enjoyed some rare success at the plate, churning out his first multi-hit effort since May 8, which also came against the Rockies. While a near-one-month stay on the injured list largely accounts for that long gap, DeJong is going through what is easily the most difficult season of his career at the plate -- even factoring in Thursday's production, his season slash line sits at an abysmal .176/.275/.357 across 207 plate appearances.
Jun 30 2021DeJong isn't starting Wednesday's game against the Diamondbacks, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong has gone 3-for-10 with two homers, four RBI, two runs and a stolen base across the last four games, but he'll get a breather in Wednesday's series finale. Edmundo Sosa will start at shortstop and bat eighth.
Jun 28 2021DeJong went 1-for-2 with a two-run home run and walk in a 7-1 triumph facing Arizona on Monday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong took Arizona reliever Alex Young 402-feet deep to left center to cap a six-run seventh for St. Louis. The blast was DeJong's 10th of the season and second in the last three games. Despite the power surge and a modest four-game hitting streak, the shortstop is still slashing a subpar .171/.271/.360 with 22 runs, 23 RBI and only three doubles.
Jun 26 2021DeJong went 1-for-2 with a home run, a walk and a stolen base in Saturday's win over the Pirates. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong launched his ninth homer of the season in the second inning against Pittsburgh's starter, JT Brubaker, but he also made his presence felt on the basepaths when he stole his third base of the campaign. The shortstop ended a 12-game homer drought with this solo shot while also improving to 3-for-3 in stolen bases thus far.
Jun 25 2021DeJong will sit Friday against the Pirates, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong had started 13 straight games after returning from a rib injury in mid-June. He struggled to a .095/.174/.167 slash line over that stretch, a performance even worse than the .177/.277/.371 line he managed in 35 games prior to the injury. Edmundo Sosa starts at shortstop in his absence.
Jun 13 2021Dejong went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Saturday's 7-2 loss to the Cubs. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Dejong took Kyle Hendricks deep to lead off the third inning Saturday. The shortstop provided some power in his second game back after missing an entire month with a rib injury. This season has been a struggle for DeJong, who is slashing .176/.275/.382 in 149 plate appearances. The 27-year-old has eight homers, 18 RBI and 19 runs with a pair of steals in 37 games.
Jun 12 2021DeJong (ribs), activated from the injured list earlier in the day, went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in a loss to the Cubs on Friday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong was able to log a full game at shortstop in his return after a four-game rehab assignment at Triple-A Memphis. His season-long struggles continued, however, as he now carries a .172/.269/.359 slash line over 148 plate appearances.
Jun 10 2021The Cardinals activated DeJong (rib) from the 10-day injured list Thursday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: As anticipated, DeJong will be rejoining the Cardinals ahead of their three-game series in Chicago versus the Cubs, which begins Friday. Though DeJong looked rusty during his recent four-game rehab assignment at Triple-A Memphis with one hit in 10 at-bats, he should immediately take over as the Cardinals' everyday shortstop. Edmundo Sosa will move into more of a utility-infield role as a result.
Jun 9 2021DeJong (ribs) is likely to be activated for Friday's game against the Cubs, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: According to Cardinals' manager Mike Shildt, DeJong is expected to play all seven innings of his Triple-A rehab game Wednesday and might take some additional at-bats in the second half of the doubleheader, after which he'll return to St. Louis for an evaluation. The 27-year-old hit a lowly .177 in 124 at-bats before landing on the injured list May 13, but he still displayed his usual pop with seven homers.
Jun 7 2021DeJong (ribs) is 1-for-5 with a double and a run in two rehab games with Triple-A Memphis. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 27-year-old has seemingly remained free of setbacks, but he's yet to play a full game in the field. DeJong may not need much longer to be deemed ready for activation, but the Cardinals may want to see him log a full nine on defense before freeing him from the injured list.
Jun 4 2021DeJong (ribs) will start a rehab assignment at Triple-A Nashville Saturday and hopes to rejoin the Cardinals at some point during their series with the Cubs next week, Jim Hayes of Bally Sports Midwest reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong was placed on the 10-day injured list May 14 after suffering a non-displaced rib fracture. The Cardinals were hoping to have the shortstop back by the end of May, but he ultimately has been sidelined up to this point. He'll now head to Memphis to rehab, with next weekend's series against Chicago as his target for a return.
May 31 2021The Cardinals plan to send DeJong (ribs) in for more follow-up imaging Thursday before determining the next step in his rehab program, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Since landing on the 10-day injured list May 14 with a non-displaced rib fracture, DeJong has slowly eased back into baseball activities. He's recently been able to play catch and take light swings, but the Cardinals are hopeful he'll start ramping things up by the end of the week if his imaging shows that his rib is healing as anticipated. Edmundo Sosa has stepped in as the Cardinals' everyday shortstop since DeJong was shut down with the injury.
May 26 2021DeJong (ribs) was working on his fielding ahead of Wednesday's game against the White Sox, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong did some light running Monday, and he now appears to have resumed some baseball activities. DeJong could resume some hitting later in the week, but a timetable for his return to game action hasn't yet been established. The shortstop has been out with a non-displaced rib fracture since mid-May.
May 25 2021DeJong (ribs) is with the Cardinals in Chicago and did some light running prior to Monday's game, the Associated Press reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Although it's a small step in the recovery process, it's still encouraging to see DeJong performing some sort of physical activity. It's believed the ailing shortstop will be able to resume some form of hitting later this week, which would represent an even more significant milestone, considering the nature of his injury.
May 21 2021DeJong (non-displaced rib fracture) will likely need more than two weeks to recover, meaning he might not be activated until sometime in June, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The Cardinals were hoping he would recover in 14 days, which would have allowed him to return around May 26, but he still hasn't started baseball activities. Manager Mike Shildt said the relative rarity of the injury makes it difficult to put a timeline on DeJong's return. Edmundo Sosa has been filling in at shortstop.
May 14 2021DeJong landed on the 10-day injured list with a non-displaced rib fracture Friday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong left Wednesday's game against the Brewers with what was originally referred to as side tightness. The injury was evidently more serious than that, though it's not yet clear when he's expected to return. Max Moroff was called up to take his place on the roster, though it will likely be Matt Carpenter who continues to take his place in the starting lineup, playing second base and pushing Tommy Edman to shortstop.
May 13 2021DeJong (side) could require a stint on the injured list, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Manager Mike Shildt said Thursday that DeJong's MRI revealed "mostly good news," but his injury could still create a pause. The 27-year-old will travel with the team for its upcoming road trip in San Diego, but the Cardinals will bring an extra infielder in case DeJong is placed on the injured list. If DeJong misses additional time, Edmundo Sosa could see increased at-bats.
May 12 2021DeJong (side) will undergo an MRI on Thursday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 27-year-old exited Wednesday's loss with left side tightness, and the issue is in a similar spot to where he was hit by a pitch Tuesday. The MRI is scheduled around 11 a.m., so DeJong is unlikely to be available for Thursday's early afternoon start with the results expected to come through during the game.
May 8 2021DeJong went 2-for-3 with a double, two walks, two stolen bases, two RBI and a run during Saturday's 9-8 win over Colorado. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 27-year-old delivered a two-RBI single during the opening frame, and he brought home another run via a double during the fifth inning. DeJong has a .193/.292/.404 slash line with seven homers, three doubles, 17 RBI and 19 runs through 32 games in 2021.
May 5 2021DeJong went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in the 4-1 win Wednesday over the Mets. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong slammed a home run off Marcus Stroman in the fifth inning to open up the lead. The 27-year-old has struggled at the plate this year, slashing .192/.288/.413. However, he leads the Cardinals with seven home runs and 13 walks.
May 4 2021DeJong went 2-for-4 with a double and a run in a win over the Mets on Monday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong laced his third extra-base hit in as many games Monday -- perhaps a sign that he may be starting to see the ball better after what's been a mostly frustrating start to the season. The slugging shortstop has belted six home runs, which have gone a long way from preventing a total fantasy wipeout; however, his .186/.288/.392 slash has ample room for improvement, although it's slightly on the rise thanks to DeJong's current three-game hitting streak.
May 2 2021DeJong went 1-for-5 with a three-run home run in Saturday's 12-5 win over the Pirates. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: He got the Cards' offensive eruption started by taking Trevor Cahill deep in the first inning. DeJong had been in a funk at the plate, going 4-for-32 (.125) over his prior nine games with zero extra-base hits, but despite a .167/.272/.367 slash line on the season the shortstop has six homers and 13 RBI through 25 contests.
Apr 29 2021DeJong isn't starting Thursday's game against the Phillies, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong will get a breather after he went 0-for-7 with a walk, a run and two strikeouts in the last two contests. Edmundo Sosa will start at shortstop and bat eighth.
Apr 22 2021DeJong is hitting .310 (9-for-29) with three home runs and six RBI across his last eight games. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The slugging shortstop also has four walks and six runs over that span, although he's still struck out at a 33.3 percent clip. DeJong actually has a solid .450 slugging percentage for the season thanks to his five home runs, and his current surge has at least pulled his average back to the Mendoza Line for the first time since April 5.
Apr 20 2021DeJong went 2-for-4 with two home runs, a walk, five RBI and three runs scored in Monday's 12-5 win over the Nationals. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The shortstop took Joe Ross deep in the second and fifth innings, with the latter shot a grand slam that blew the game wide open. DeJong has a modest six-game hitting streak going that includes three homers over the last three days, pushing his slash line up to .189/.317/.472.
Apr 19 2021DeJong, who went 1-for-3 with two strikeouts in a loss to the Phillies on Sunday, has a five-game hitting streak but just a .163/.293/.347 slash across 58 plate appearances. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong's trio of home runs have prevented the early portion of his season from being a complete fantasy wasteland, but he's done little else to redeem himself to those who invested some draft capital in him. Even the struggling shortstop's current five-game hit streak is comprised entirely of one-hit outings and four singles outside of a solo homer. As was often the case last season, lack of consistent contact has been a pervasive problem for DeJong -- he's currently sporting a career-worst 34.5 percent strikeout rate.
Apr 14 2021DeJong isn't starting Wednesday's game against the Nationals, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong had started every game to begin the year, but he's been in a slump recently, as he's hit .065 with five walks, five runs and 15 strikeouts in the last nine games. Edmundo Sosa will take his place at shortstop Wednesday, batting eighth.
Apr 13 2021DeJong, who went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts in a loss to the Nationals on Monday, operated out of the No. 6 spot in the order for the first time this season. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The struggling shortstop is now slashing .114/.262/.286 across 42 plate appearances, leading to his lowest slotting in the lineup yet this season. DeJong's leadoff single in the seventh Monday snapped a seven-game hitless drought, and while his abnormally low .105 BABIP certainly hasn't helped his cause, neither has the 27-year-old's 33.3 percent strikeout rate.
Apr 3 2021DeJong went 2-for-3 with two walks, two solo home runs and three total runs scored in Saturday's loss to the Reds. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Tyler Mahle baffled most of the St. Louis lineup, but not DeJong. Batting out of the cleanup spot, DeJong homered in the second inning and again in the fourth, his first two long balls of the 2021 campaign. He should have plenty of RBI opportunities this season batting directly behind Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado.
Mar 19 2021DeJong, who was hitless over his first 23 Grapefruit League at-bats, credits a pep talk he received from manager Mike Shildt early this week for his strong performances since, Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Shildt reportedly reminded DeJong that "no one wins a Grapefruit League batting title" in an effort to loosen the shortstop up at the plate, and the messaging seems to have seeped through. DeJong subsequently homered and singled off staff ace Jack Flaherty in a simulated game Tuesday, singled and walked against the Astros on Wednesday and recorded a two-run blast and a single off Marlins starter Pablo Lopez on Thursday. That still leaves the shortstop's spring average at .179, but it gives him a much bigger boost in confidence. "Just getting back to myself," said DeJong, who has made a small change in his stance to be more upright. "Getting my timing back. And I want to thank Mike for pulling me aside and telling me he wasn't worried about me. It's just one of those springs."
Mar 4 2021DeJong is 0-for-4 with a strikeout across his first two Grapefruit League games. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The slugging shortstop's quest to prove he's still capable of the level of power that led to a career-high 30 home runs in 2019 is off to a slow start over a small sample size. DeJong's average saw a boost from 2019's .233 to .250 last season, but he also slugged a career-low .349 with just nine extra-base hits (six doubles, three homers) across 174 plate appearances. The 27-year-old's strikeout rate also rose to a career-high 28.7 percent last season despite the improvement in batting average, so he'll look to achieve that power resurgence while also improving his contact rate.
Sep 22 2020DeJong isn't in Tuesday's lineup against the Royals, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong has been slumping recently as he's gone just 1-for-20 with three RBI, one walk and eight strikeouts over the last six games. Tommy Edman will take over at shortstop Tuesday.
Sep 14 2020DeJong went 3-for-5 with one RBI in a 3-2 win over Milwaukee in the second game of Monday's doubleheader. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong tapped a two-out, RBI single in the top of the ninth that proved to be the deciding run. The 27-year-old shortstop raised his slash line to .304/.387/.441 with 20 RBI this season.
Sep 5 2020DeJong went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader against the Cubs. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong drove in a pair of runs in the matinee and kicked off the scoring in the nightcap with a solo shot to left field in the second inning for an overall productive twin bill. The shortstop is hitting an even .300 on the season with a .845 OPS, three home runs and 15 RBI.
Aug 31 2020DeJong went 2-for-5 with a grand slam and a stolen base in Monday's 7-5 win over the Reds. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: His fourth-inning blast with the bases loaded chased Anthony DeSclafani from the game and proved to be the decisive hit in the game after the Cards' bullpen made things interesting. DeJong has two homers and 12 RBI through 14 games, but it's his .321 batting average that's wildly exceeding expectations.
Aug 30 2020DeJong went 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored Sunday against Cleveland. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong recorded his second three-hit effort in the Cardinals weekend series against Cleveland. However, his ability to hit for extra-bases was an encouraging sign, as he had logged just one double, no home runs and no triples in his first 27 at-bats since being activated from the injured list. For the season, DeJong is now hitting .313/.358/.458 across 53 plate appearances.
Aug 28 2020DeJong went 3-for-4 in Friday's 14-2 loss to Cleveland. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: All three of DeJong's hits were singles. The shortstop has gone 8-for-22 (.364) with four RBI and two runs scored in six games since returning from his bout with COVID-19. He's slashing .308/.364/.436 with a homer, eight RBI and five runs scored overall in 11 contests this year.
Aug 27 2020DeJong is not starting Thursday against the Pirates. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong has appeared in four straight games since returning from the injured list, going 5-for-15 with four RBI in the process. Tommy Edman is manning shortstop in this one, with Brad Miller covering third base.
Aug 26 2020DeJong went 3-for-4 with an RBI infield single in a loss to the Royals on Tuesday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After an 0-for-4 day upon his return to action Sunday against the Reds, DeJong is now 4-for-9 with four RBI over the subsequent two games. The shortstop is still looking to get his power production going in earnest, however, as he has just one home run over his first 32 plate appearances after averaging a round tripper every 22.1 trips to the batter's box in 2019.
Aug 24 2020Dejong went 1-for-3 with a double, three RBI, run scored and walk in Monday's 9-3 win over the Royals. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After going hitless in his return from the COVID-19 injured list Sunday, Dejong was able to contribute to a Cardinals' win with some nice at-bats Monday. He got the Redbirds on the board with a sacrifice fly in the first and extended the lead to 4-0 with a two-run double in the fifth. The shortstop has six hits in 25 at-bats this season.
Aug 23 2020DeJong was activated off the COVID-19 injured list Sunday and is starting at shortstop and batting seventh against the Reds, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 27-year-old was previously expected to be activated Monday, but he'll rejoin the team a day early after being sidelined all month following his positive test for COVID-19. DeJong went 4-for-17 with one home run in five games before the Cardinals' outbreak, and he should reclaim everyday role at shortstop now that he's ready to go.
Aug 20 2020The tentative plan is for DeJong (not injury related) to rejoin the Cardinals on Monday, Mark Saxon of The Athletic reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong will spend the weekend working out at the team's alternate camp site before hopefully rejoining the Cardinals ahead of Monday's series opener against the Royals. The shortstop has been sidelined all month following a positive COVID-19 test, leaving Tommy Edman to handle primary shortstop duties.
Aug 18 2020DeJong cleared MLB's COVID-19 protocols and took part in a workout at Busch Stadium on Tuesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 27-year-old was placed on the COVID-19 injured list Aug. 4, so he's been away from the team for over two weeks. President of baseball operations John Mozeliak previously indicated DeJong wouldn't be activated prior to Thursday, but it's unclear if he'll require some additional workout time before returning to game readiness. Tommy Edman has started every game at shortstop since St. Louis returned to play over the weekend, and he figures to remain there until DeJong is activated.
Aug 14 2020DeJong (illness) will not be rejoining the team during its upcoming eight-game resumption of play in Chicago versus the White Sox and Cubs, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong was placed on the COVID-19 injured list Aug. 4, and president of baseball operations John Mozeliak seemed to imply Thursday that the slugging shortstop won't be cleared from that designation any earlier than Thursday, the day after the barrage of upcoming contests for St. Louis. DeJong will naturally need to clear all testing protocols and also get in several workouts before being considered ready for game action. Tommy Edman and Max Schrock are expected to handle the bulk of shortstop duties while DeJong remains on the shelf, although veteran Brad Miller is a candidate to fill in as well.
Aug 4 2020DeJong was placed on the COVID-19 injured list Tuesday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong is one of many Cardinals who have been caught up in the team's coronavirus outbreak. He'll be eligible to return to action once he's symptom-free and produces a pair of negative tests. Whether that happens before the Cardinals are allowed to return to the field remains to be seen. The team's next scheduled game is currently set for Friday against the Cubs.
Jul 25 2020DeJong went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored during Saturday's 9-1 win over the Pirates. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The 26-year-old clubbed a clutch two-run homer during the eighth inning of Friday's opener, and he brought home two more runs during Saturday's contest. DeJong is 3-for-7 with three runs, four RBI and a walk over the first two games, and he'll look to cap off the series in style Sunday versus Pirates starter Mitch Keller.
Jul 24 2020DeJong went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and a walk in Friday's victory over Pittsburgh. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong belted a two-run shot to left field off Richard Rodriguez in the eighth inning for what proved to be important insurance runs in the Cardinals' 5-4 victory. The 26-year-old hit a career-high 30 homers last season and has averaged a healthy 24.6 long balls per season over the first three years of his career.
Jul 10 2020DeJong drove in all four runs for his team in Thursday night's intrasquad game at Busch Stadium, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The slugger, who's projected to typically hit out of the cleanup spot this coming season, drove in a pair of runs with a first-inning single and then added a two-run home run in the fourth and final frame of the game. DeJong has received praise from manager Mike Shildt for his consistent approach in every simulated game the Cardinals have played thus far, and Thursday's production was also encouraging when considering the shortstop hit an anemic .193 with runners in scoring position in 2019.
Jun 7 2020DeJong participated in workouts at Busch Stadium on Wednesday that included batting practice against teammates Adam Wainwright and Kwang-Hyun Kim, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong and Kolten Wong joined the two hurlers in a workout that observed all required social distancing guidelines. The slugging shortstop, who's been working out regularly during the shutdown, was able to field grounders in addition to getting his hacks in the batter's box as he continues to prepare for the possibility of an abbreviated 2020 regular season.
May 21 2020DeJong, who initially remained in Jupiter, Florida when spring training was suspended, has been working out regularly in the St. Louis area for some time, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: Goold reports DeJong has regularly been able to incorporate fielding practice into his workouts, and it's likely he's also gotten hitting work done in some form. The 26-year-old swung a scalding hot bat during Grapefruit League play, hitting .464 (13-for-28) across 11 exhibitions before play was paused. His presence in the St. Louis area would seem to indicate DeJong will be among the players present for the small group workouts the Cardinals will be allowed to conduct at Busch Stadium beginning next week, and the slugger is among those eager to see proposed plans for a 2020 season come to fruition. "Baseball players want to play," DeJong said. "We're going to have to go out there. I think the game is bigger than all of this. We have to do everything we can to preserve the game in its most natural state. If this means a temporary season like this year where we have to try out some new measures, I'm all for it because I know I want to play."
Apr 9 2020DeJong, who hit .464 (13-for-28) before spring training was suspended, proved himself worthy of manning the No. 4 spot in the order this coming season with his Grapefruit League performance, Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong's aforementioned impressive batting average was largely comprised of a double, four home runs, eight RBI, two walks and seven runs, certainly lending credence to the notion he's ramping up for a big season. Hummel notes that DeJong has now been working closely with hitting coach Jeff Albert for a full year, a relationship that appears to be paying dividends after the shortstop hit just .233 in 2019, including .193 with men in scoring position. Resurgent seasons from both DeJong and No. 3 hitter Paul Goldschmidt would give the Cardinals one of the more formidable 1-2 punches in the majors at those critical spots in the order.
Mar 3 2020DeJong, who went 2-for-3 with a run in a Grapefruit League win over the Astros on Tuesday, is hitting .571 with a double, three home runs, seven RBI, a walk and five runs across his first six spring games. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong's exhibition slate has been a rousing success early, as he now has a five-game hitting streak and homered both Sunday and Monday. Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports the 26-year-old vowed to simplify his approach at the plate this season by focusing on laying off any pitches that are down and away, the culprit for many of his career-high 149 strikeouts in 2019. DeJong is hoping that by establishing a zone and sticking to it, he'll also improve his situational hitting after slashing an unsightly .193/.297/.277 with runners in scoring position last season, including slugging only one of his 30 homers with a runner on second or third base.
Feb 26 2020DeJong, who went 2-for-2 with a walk and a run in a Grapefruit League win over the Astros on Wednesday, also hit a three-run home run and drove in four runs overall in an exhibition loss to the Nationals on Tuesday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: The slugging shortstop has only logged six plate appearances through three spring games, but he's made excellent use of them. DeJong mustered career highs in extra-base hits (62) in 2019, including new high-water marks in doubles (31) and home runs (30). He drove in a career-best 78 runs, but he also produced a pedestrian .233 average, the lowest of his big-league career thus far. The timely hitting he's demonstrated over a small sample thus far in Grapefruit League play is a particularly welcome sight after DeJong hit just .193 with men in scoring position last season, and Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports manager Mike Shildt was particularly gratified to see it. "I want to see Paul hit with that runner at third, less than two outs, " Shildt said. "And today we got that situation. He got to two strikes and didn't try to do too much. What a fluid, pretty swing."
Sep 29 2019DeJong went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to the Cubs on Saturday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong got to the 30-homer threshold with his 416-foot solo shot in the eighth, his third round tripper over the last six contests. The power-hitting shortstop is scuffling outside of the big blasts in September, however, as he's hitting just .179 (17-for-95) since the calendar flipped from August.
Sep 25 2019DeJong is not in the lineup Wednesday against the Diamondbacks. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong will join a slew of starters on the bench Wednesday after playing all 19 innings during Tuesday's 3-2 loss, going 1-for-7 with a walk and two strikeouts. In his place, Yairo Munoz is starting at shortstop and hitting seventh.
Sep 23 2019DeJong went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in a win over the Cubs on Sunday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong made a notable contribution to the postseason-clinching win, knocking a 437-foot shot to left in the third to erase an early 1-0 deficit. The slugging shortstop isn't finding much success during a tough September at the plate (.195 average), yet eight (three doubles, five homers) of his 15 hits on the month have gone for extra bases, leading to a solid 12 RBI.
Sep 21 2019DeJong went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in a 9-8 win over the Cubs on Saturday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong crushed his 28th long ball of the campaign in the ninth off Craig Kimbrel to go back-to-back with Yadier Molina and put the Cardinals back in front 9-8. The 26-year-old shortstop is hitting just .189 (14-for-74) in September, but his 11 RBI this month have still allowed him to set a career-high at 76 for the season.
Sep 16 2019DeJong went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in a loss to the Brewers on Sunday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong connected on his 27th blast of the campaign in the seventh with Marcell Ozuna aboard to erase a 2-1 deficit at the time. The slugging shortstop is hitting just .204 (11-for-54) in September, but the nine runs he's driven in during the month have pushed him to a career-high 74 RBI on the campaign.
Sep 13 2019DeJong went 0-for-4 with two stolen bases and a run in a win over the Rockies on Thursday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: While he didn't partake in the Cardinals' offensive breakout -- in fact, DeJong was the only St. Louis starting position player that didn't hit safely in the contest -- the shortstop made some nice contributions for fantasy managers on the basepaths. Having come into 2019 with just one stolen base apiece in each of his first two big-league seasons, DeJong now has nine swipes on 14 attempts during the current campaign. Coupled with similar career-best marks in doubles (30) , home runs (26) and RBI (72), it's mostly been a banner season for the 26-year-old that even his career-high 127 strikeouts can't truly sully, considering he's still managed to drop his actual strikeout rate a full four percentage points from last season's 25.2.
Sep 8 2019DeJong went 1-for-4 with a two-run double, a stolen base and a run in a win over the Pirates on Saturday. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong's seventh-inning two-bagger plated Marcell Ozuna and Kolten Wong to extend the Cardinals' lead to 8-1. The slugging shortstop has hit safely in six consecutive games and already has seven RBI over eight September games thanks in part to a pair of home runs in addition to Saturday's double.
Sep 5 2019DeJong went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run Thursday against the Giants. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong took Logan Webb deep in the first inning to record his 26th homer of the season. He's now homered in consecutive starts, the latter of which helped him set a new career-best mark for homers in a season. Though he's hit under .230 since the All-Star break, DeJong has still managed to post 13 home runs with 34 RBI and 33 runs scored across 50 games.
Sep 4 2019DeJong went 2-for-5 with a solo home run Wednesday against the Giants. ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: DeJong tied his career-high mark for home runs in a season when he took Madison Bumgarner deep in the fourth inning for his 25th long ball of the campaign. While pedestrian in most other categories, DeJong has proven to be a reliable source of power through three major-league seasons by posting a .470 slugging percentage across 1,504 plate appearances. He'll look to end the season on a positive note, though he's hit just .226 in 50 games since the All-Star break.
Sep 1 2019DeJong is out of the lineup for Game 1 of Sunday's doubleheader against the Reds.
Aug 26 2019DeJong went 1-for-2 with a homer, three RBI, two runs scored and two walks in Monday's 12-2 win over the Brewers.
Aug 22 2019DeJong went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run Thursday against the Rockies.
Aug 20 2019DeJong went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in a win over the Brewers on Monday.
Aug 17 2019DeJong is not in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Reds.
Aug 14 2019DeJong went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and another run scored in Wednesday's 6-0 win over the Royals.
Aug 5 2019DeJong went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to the Athletics on Sunday.
Aug 4 2019DeJong went 2-for-4 with an RBI single in a loss to the Athletics on Saturday.
Jul 24 2019DeJong went 4-for-4 with three home runs, a double, five RBI and four runs in a 14-8 victory against the Pirates on Tuesday.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jul 24 2019DeJong went 4-for-4 with three home runs, a double, five RBI and four runs in a 14-8 victory against the Pirates on Wednesday.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jul 19 2019DeJong went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, two runs scored and four RBI in Friday's 12-11 win over the Reds.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jul 18 2019DeJong went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run, two runs and three RBI to help the Cardinals to a 7-4 victory over the Reds on Thursday.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jul 14 2019DeJong is out of the lineup for Sunday's game versus the Diamondbacks, Anne Rogers of MLB.com<\/a> reports.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jun 26 2019DeJong went 2-for-5 with an RBI ground-rule double in a loss to the Athletics on Tuesday.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jun 17 2019DeJong went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and two runs in a win over the Mets on Sunday.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jun 16 2019DeJong went 3-for-4 with a run-scoring sacrifice fly, a stolen base and a run in a loss to the Mets on Saturday.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jun 15 2019DeJong went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in a win over the Mets on Friday.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jun 14 2019DeJong went 1-for-4 with a solo home run against the Mets in a tie game suspended by rain in the ninth inning Thursday.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jun 10 2019DeJong is not in the lineup<\/a> Monday against the Marlins.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jun 8 2019DeJong went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to the Cubs on Friday.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jun 6 2019DeJong with 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Thursday's win over the Reds.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
May 31 2019DeJong, who went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in a win over the Phillies on Thursday, was deployed out of the two hole in the lineup for the first time this season, Paul Casella of MLB.com<\/a> reports.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
May 29 2019DeJong, who went 0-for-3 with a run in a loss to the Phillies on Tuesday, is 0-for-18 overall with four walks and five strikeouts in his last six games.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
May 20 2019DeJong went 1-for-4 with a two-run double, a sacrifice fly and a stolen base in an extra-inning loss to the Rangers on Sunday.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
May 18 2019DeJong went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, two runs scored, two RBI and a walk in Saturday's 8-2 win over the Rangers.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
May 12 2019DeJong went 1-for-3 with an RBI double and a walk in a loss to the Pirates on Saturday.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
May 7 2019DeJong went 1-3 with a two-run home run and a walk in a win over the Phillies on Monday.Subscribe now<\/a> to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Jul 21 2018DeJong went 0-for-4 in the first game but rebounded to go 2-for-4 with two RBI in the second contest of Saturday's doubleheader split with the Cubs.DeJong put his forgettable first effort behind him to make two vital offensive plays in the second: a sacrifice fly in the first inning and a go-ahead, run-scoring double in the ninth. The infielder has a hit in 10 of his 12 games since returning from the disabled list but has struggled to follow up on his breakout 2017 campaign, slashing just .258/.336/.434 with eight homers and 21 RBI in 223 plate appearances.
Jul 6 2018DeJong went 1-for-3 with two runs in the Cardinals' 3-2 loss to the Giants on Friday.It was a successful first game back from the disabled list for DeJong, who got a base hit and scored twice while making his first start since May 17 coming back from a hand injury. He's shown he's a very talented hitter dating back to last year, and he's got a strong .261/.351/.474 slash line through 153 at-bats to go along with eight long balls this season, so the 24-year-old can be safely deployed back into lineups.
Jul 6 2018DeJong (hand) will start at shortstop and bat sixth Friday against the Giants, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.In his first start since May 17, DeJong will bat in the six hole against right-hander Dereck Rodriguez. He primarily hit sixth or seventh for the Cardinals before going down with the fractured left hand. Strikeouts remain an issue (29.2 percent this season), but DeJong was walking a lot more early on and the power is real. He has 33 homers in just 149 career games at the major-league level.
Jul 6 2018DeJong (hand) was activated from the 10-day disabled list prior to Friday's game against the Giants, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.He will presumably slot into the lineup in San Francisco. DeJong will wear a protective guard over his batting glove in an effort to avoid aggravating the injury. DeJong may not play every day, but he will be the Cardinals' primary shortstop going forward.
Jul 5 2018As expected, DeJong (hand) joined the Cardinals in San Francisco on Thursday and remains a candidate for activation Friday. He'll wear a protective guard over his batting glove upon resuming play, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.Manager Mike Matheny stated that the team will also want to see how DeJong responds to a rest day before playing on back-to-back days, which hints at him possibly only suiting up in two of the subsequent three games if he's indeed activated Friday. The shortstop has been on the disabled list since May 17 and only logged a total of 13 at-bats with Triple-A Memphis during his rehab stint, so it wouldn't be surprising if timing is somewhat of an issue initially. Moreover, the protective guard he'll don could have an effect on his swing, although that remains to be seen.
Jul 4 2018DeJong (hand) went 2-for-4 with a double, a solo home run, a walk and two runs in Triple-A Memphis' win over Iowa on Tuesday. He remains on track to be activated prior to Thursday's series opener against the Giants, Jack Magruder of MLB.com reports.DeJong bounced back nicely after striking out twice in Monday's contest against Iowa. The 24-year-old was able to make solid progress over the last few weeks, with manager Mike Matheny coming away impressed while watching DeJong take batting practice recently in Milwaukee when the shortstop joined the team on a road trip. DeJong has gone through an extensive battery of tests as part of his rehab as well, which has included measuring his grip strength to make sure it's back to pre-injury levels. If DeJong is indeed activated Thursday, he'll have missed a total of 44 games with his injury.
Jul 4 2018Updating an earlier report, DeJong (hand) will join the Cardinals in San Francisco on Thursday but will not be activated until Friday at the earliest, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.DeJong was thought to have a chance of being activated before the series opener Thursday, but manager Mike Matheny confirmed otherwise Wednesday. However, it appears highly likely he'll make his return at some point during the series versus the Giants and slot back into his everyday shortstop job.
Jul 3 2018DeJong (hand) went 0-for-4 with an RBI from a sacrifice fly in Triple-A Memphis' win over Iowa on Monday while striking out twice.DeJong was making the first of back-to-back starts for the Redbirds on Monday, after which he's likely to be activated. While his day at the plate wasn't successful Monday, the much more pertinent aspect of his performance is that he was able to play all nine innings in the field and continues to progress without setbacks. DeJong's status is likely to be updated after Tuesday night's game.
Jul 1 2018DeJong (hand) will not join the Cardinals for the three-game series against the Diamondbacks that begins Monday, Peter Baugh of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.DeJong was thought to have a very good chance of joining the team in Arizona on Monday, but he'll instead start for Triple-A Memphis that night and on Tuesday as well. The 24-year-old is now expected to be activated at some point during the four-game series against the Giants that begins Thursday.
Jun 30 2018DeJong (hand) went 1-for-3 with a double and a run in Triple-A Memphis' win over Iowa on Friday.It was an encouraging start for what's expected to be relatively short rehab assignment for DeJong. Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports that because the infielder has already been participating in baseball activities for multiple weeks, he shouldn't need too many reps at the minor-league level before being deemed ready for activation. DeJong received official clearance to face live pitching after undergoing a scan of his surgically repaired left hand Thursday.
Jun 30 2018DeJong (hand) went 1-for-2 in a rain-shortened game between Triple-A Memphis and Iowa on Saturday.The contest was suspended after four innings and will resume tomorrow before the regularly scheduled Sunday game, but DeJong at least was able to get two at-bats in. He's now 2-for-5 over his first two games with the Redbirds and may not need too many more appearances before being deemed ready for activation.
Jun 29 2018DeJong (hand) will start a rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Memphis on Friday.It remains unclear as to the duration of DeJong's minor-league stint but this move confirms that the shortstop received the requisite medical clearance to resume playing in games. Since he's been out for over six weeks after undergoing surgery on his fractured left hand, it's expected that he will require a few games with Memphis before returning to the big leagues.
Jun 27 2018DeJong (hand) is expected to head to Des Moines to join Triple-A Memphis tomorrow after receiving medical clearance, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.DeJong is expected to receive clearance to face live pitching during his evaluation. The duration of his forthcoming minor-league rehab assignment remains to be seen, but DeJong will at least be regaining his timing at the closest level of competition to the big leagues as possible while with the Redbirds.
Jun 25 2018DeJong (hand) will see a doctor Thursday in order to be cleared to face live pitching, David Solomon of 590 The Fan reports.DeJong will undergo what he hopes will be his final X-ray and bone scan on his fractured hand. He has been able to hit in batting practice and could be cleared for a minor-league rehab assignment after Thursday's visit.
Jun 22 2018DeJong (hand) was able to participate in live batting practice Friday prior to the Cardinals' game in Milwaukee, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.This marked the first time DeJong took part in an on-field batting practice session since landing on the disabled list. Moving forward, he's going to have a check-up with a doctor next week and if everything looks to be in order, he will begin a minor-league rehab assignment in the near future.
Jun 21 2018DeJong (hand) hit off a pitching machine Thursday and reported no pain when making contact, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.The young shortstop called Thursday's session a "huge step" in his rehab process and added that he is aiming to hit on the field in the near future. That DeJong was able to hit without any pain in his surgically repaired hand is the most encouraging tidbit of Thursday's report, but it's still unclear when exactly he'll be ready to set out on a rehab assignment. There will be more clarity on DeJong's timetable after his next workout.
Jun 20 2018DeJong (hand) is slated to see a specialist late next week with the goal of receiving clearance to resume hitting full-speed fastballs, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.DeJong is looking to resume hitting 95 mph pitches without causing damage to his injured finger. The goal is for the shortstop to resume batting practice during the team's next home stand, after which he'd head out to a rehab assignment. If he's able to traverse those steps without setbacks, DeJong could be on target for an early-July return.
Jun 18 2018DeJong (hand) traveled with the team to Philadelphia and his hoping to resume batting practice by the end of this week, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.DeJong has been progressively ramping up his activity, and he began swinging off a tee last Saturday for the first time since undergoing his hand surgery. The 24-year-old will also eventually need a minor-league rehab assignment prior to activation, with the affiliate and duration to be determined.
Jun 16 2018DeJong (hand) hit off a tee Saturday for the first time since undergoing surgery for his fractured left hand, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.DeJong had a CT scan scheduled for Saturday to determine if he could start hitting, and his work on the tee indicates there were no issues. The 24-year-old will continue to ramp up his baseball activities and will travel with the Cardinals on their road trip next week, but there remains no firm date for his expected return.
Jun 15 2018DeJong (hand) will have a CT scan on his left hand Saturday to determine whether he's ready to begin hitting, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.DeJong resumed light baseball activities earlier in the week, which includes taking swings against air. General manager Michael Girsch has said that the team expects DeJong's recovery -- which will still include a rehab assignment of unknown duration -- to accelerate relatively quickly from this point forward.
Jun 11 2018DeJong (hand) began light baseball activities Monday, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.DeJong was able to field grounders for the first time since fracturing his hand last month. He'll be reevaluated later in the week to asses his progress, but barring any setbacks, the Cardinals are hoping to have the shortstop back before the end of June, according to Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Jun 9 2018General manager Michael Girsch said DeJong went in for an evaluation Friday and received good news, as his fractured left has seen "significant healing," though he hasn't been cleared for baseball activities at this point in time, Jim Hayes of Fox Sports Midwest reports.DeJong has been out since the middle of May after sustaining this injury during a hit by pitch against the Phillies. He was cleared to start "everyday activities" last week but he still appears to be a little ways off from resuming any sort of hitting or fielding drills. That said, it's unlikely that he will be back in action for the Cardinals prior to the last week in June, though a more specific timetable should come into focus once he's able to start baseball activities.
Jun 1 2018DeJong has been cleared to initiate everyday activities with his left hand, and he should start baseball activities within the next few weeks, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.DeJong will begin to exercise and strengthen his left hand next week, and he hopes to resume baseball activities the week after that. The 24-year-old shortstop figures to be on the shelf until the end of June, but it's positive news that he's making strides towards a return. DeJong appeared in 41 games, batting .260 with eight home runs and 19 RBI before landing on the disabled list May 18.
May 21 2018DeJong began rehabbing his hand Monday, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.DeJong began what is being called minor rehab work after undergoing successful surgery on his fractured left hand over the weekend. It's still too early in his rehab for a timetable to be determined, but the procedure he underwent was done in order to expedite what would otherwise be an 8-to-12 week recovery. Jedd Gyorko and Greg Garcia have both seen reps at shortstop in his absence.
May 19 2018DeJong had successful surgery on his fractured left hand Friday, Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY Sports reports.The Cardinals have yet to describe DeJong's timetable, though this procedure was done in order to expedite the anticipated 8-to-12 week recovery if both parties agreed upon the non-surgical route. Expect a better gauge of DeJong's expected return date within the coming days.
May 18 2018DeJong (hand) will undergo surgery to have a plate inserted into his fractured left hand Friday night, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.The fracture occurred when DeJong was hit by a pitch in Thursday's game against the Phillies but he remained in the game, making Friday's news a complete surprise. No timetable for his return is yet known, but Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports the surgery should expedite what would otherwise be an 8-to-12 week recovery process. Jedd Gyorko will start at shortstop Friday, and the team also recalled Yairo Munoz from Triple-A Memphis.
May 18 2018The Cardinals placed DeJong on the 10-day disabled list Friday with a fractured left hand.DeJong was hit by a pitch in the eighth inning of Thursday's loss to the Phillies, but was able to remain in the game and even had an additional at-bat. The severity of the fracture -- and whether surgery will be required -- remain unclear at this point, but it seems likely the 24-year-old won't be able to return May 28 after the 10-day minimum on the DL. Jedd Gyorko will start at shortstop for the Cardinals on Friday, with Greg Garcia also expected to help fill the void.
May 17 2018DeJong went 1-for-3 with an RBI double, two walks and a run in a win over the Twins on Wednesday.DeJong slogged through an 0-for-14 start to May, but he's significantly picked it up at the plate since then. The 24-year-old is 10-for-30 with two doubles, a home run and five RBI over the subsequent eight games, a stretch that includes a quartet of multi-hit efforts.
May 11 2018DeJong went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run and four RBI to help the Cardinals to a 9-5 victory over the Padres on Friday.DeJong was in a slump to start the month of May but he seems to have snapped out of it as he now has multi-hit efforts in three of his past four games including his eighth homer of the year on Friday. The recent hot streak has pumped his average back up to .263 and his OPS to .834, so he'll look to keep riding that momentum as he looks to replicate his fantastic offensive showing from last year that saw him OPS .857 over 417 at-bats.
May 8 2018DeJong went 3-for-4 with a double in a shutout loss to the Twins on Monday.DeJong had the only multi-hit night for the Cardinals on a night when they reached safely on only seven occasions overall. The talented shortstop snapped the five-game slump he'd been mired in to open May, which had seen him go 0-for-14 with four strikeouts. DeJong had seen his average take a 34-point dive to .241 during that stretch, but Monday's production, which included his first extra-base hit since April 26, could potentially be the springboard for a resurgence at the plate.
Apr 29 2018DeJong will start at shortstop and bat third Sunday against the Pirates, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.Cardinals manager Mike Matheny is giving breathers to Dexter Fowler and Jose Martinez on getaway day, leaving a couple openings near the top of the order. DeJong will fill Martinez's usual spot in the three hole, making him a decent value play in DFS contests with a lightly-regarded prospect in Nick Kingham taking the hill for Pittsburgh in his MLB debut.
Apr 29 2018DeJong went 2-for-4 with a run in a loss to the Pirates on Saturday.It was an underwhelming performance for the Cardinals offense as a whole, but DeJong came through with the team's only multi-hit effort. The 24-year-old shortstop has racked up a pair of hits in five of his last seven games, a span that includes four doubles and two home runs.
Apr 26 2018DeJong went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs in a win over the Mets on Wednesday.DeJong has now hit safely in five straight games and racked up six extra-base hits (four doubles, two home runs) during that stretch. Many of the 24-year-old's recent hits have been especially timely, as well, as he's driven in eight of his 14 RBI on the season over his last seven games.
Apr 22 2018DeJong went 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI in Sunday's win over the Reds.The three-run blast helped break open the game in the seventh inning, turning a 3-2 lead into a 6-2 margin. The 24-year-old is starting to heat up, as he's left the yard in back-to-back games and in three of the last five, bringing his home run total up to seven on the year -- good for a tie for third in the NL behind just Bryce Harper and Charlie Blackmon.
Apr 21 2018DeJong went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run Saturday against the Reds.With one out in the bottom of the second, the young shortstop deposited the second pitch he saw into the left-field stands, pushing his home run total to six. DeJong is hitting .250 on the season, but his nice power showing has his OPS up to a solid .850 mark.
Apr 17 2018DeJong went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Tuesday's win over the Cubs.It was a bit of a mixed bag, as the other four at bats were all strikeouts. The home run helps ease the pain somewhat, but DeJong is now 3-for-25 with 14 strikeouts over the past week, all but erasing his hot start. The 24-year-old had a lofty .357 BABIP though even before Tuesday's home run, so the results have been there in the times he's been able to get his bat around on the ball.
Apr 15 2018DeJong is not in the lineup Sunday against the Reds.DeJong went 10-for-22 with three homers through the first week of the season but is hitting just .114 (4-for-35) with one home run in the nine games since. He'll get the afternoon off to reset before likely rejoining the starting lineup Monday against the Cubs. Greg Garcia will take over at shortstop and bat sixth in his absence.
Apr 12 2018DeJong went 1-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored and an RBI Thursday against the Reds.DeJong's 40 percent hard contact rate and 44 percent flyball rate to begin the season highlight his power upside. Despite those numbers, his home run tonight was just his fifth extra-base hit of the season and his first home run since April 2. His production will likely continue to come sporadically throughout the season thanks to a strikeout rate that is also clearing 40 percent in the early going.
Apr 11 2018DeJong is not in the lineup against Milwaukee on Wednesday, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.For the first time this year, DeJong will occupy a spot on the pine while Greg Garcia earns a start at short for the series finale. During the first 11 games, DeJong has slashed .302/.333/.535 with three home runs and five RBI. Expect him back in the lineup against the Reds on Thursday.
Apr 6 2018DeJong went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in Thursday's 3-1 loss to the Diamondbacks.It appears he's human after all, as Thursday's clunker snapped DeJong's six-game hitting streak and marked his third multi-strikeout game of the young season. Contact rate thus remains one of the few kinks in DeJong's armor, as he also generated an unsightly 28.0 percent strikeout rate in his rookie 2017 campaign, his third straight professional stop with a figure well above 20.0 percent. Despite the blanking, DeJong is still hitting an impressive .385 over his first 28 plate appearances, a testament to how torrid his start had been prior to Thursday.
Apr 2 2018DeJong went 2-for-3 with two solo home runs and a walk in Sunday's 5-1 win over the Mets.A second-inning, 397-foot shot opened the scoring on the night, and his 375-foot rope in the eighth capped it off. DeJong hit safely in all three games of the opening series versus the Mets, while Sunday's pair of blasts served as his first two extra-base hits of the new season. Given his auspicious start, DeJong looks to be on his way to validating the faith the Cardinals showed when inking him to lucractive multi-year extension this spring.
Apr 2 2018DeJong hit his third home run as part of a 3-for-4 game with two runs scored and three RBI.That makes DeJong a scorching 5-for-7 with three homers and five RBI over his past two games. The shortstop is doing his best to make sure his 25-homer rookie campaign last year doesn't go down as a fluke. At this point, the only concern is that a whopping six of his nine outs made have been strikeouts, but fantasy owners will gladly stomach the whiffs for that kind of power at shortstop.
Mar 12 2018DeJong went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, a double, a walk and two runs in Sunday's 4-3 Grapefruit League win over the Nationals.Fresh off a $26 million extension, DeJong went deep off Shawn Kelley in the eighth for what turned out to be the game-winning run. The 24-year-old appears to be heating up at the plate after a slow start to spring, now having homered in back-to-back exhibitions and racking up three hits in six at-bats overall during that span. DeJong also now has a trio of two-baggers following Sunday's double and appears set to build on a spectacular 2017 rookie season while serving as the everyday shortstop.
Mar 5 2018The Cardinals finalized a contract extension with DeJong on Monday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.The terms of DeJong's extension aren't yet known, but the deal presumably covers the shortstop's arbitration years and gives him some longer-term financial security in the process. Though he carried only a modest pedigree as a prospect since being drafted in the fourth round by St. Louis in 2015, DeJong was highly impressive in his first taste of the big leagues last season, hitting .285 with 52 extra-base hits -- including 25 home runs -- across 443 plate appearances. He'll enter the 2018 campaign as the Cardinals' everyday shortstop.
Mar 5 2018The Cardinals finalized a contract extension with DeJong on Monday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, DeJong's extension is worth $26 million over six years.The extension, which is the largest deal for any player with less than one year of MLB service time, buy outs DeJong's arbitration years and keeps him in St. Louis through the 2023 season. Though he carried only a modest pedigree as a prospect after being drafted in the fourth round by the Cardinals in 2015, DeJong was highly impressive in his first taste of the big leagues last season, hitting .285 with 52 extra-base hits -- including 25 home runs -- across 443 plate appearances. He'll enter the 2018 campaign as the Cardinals' everyday shortstop.
Feb 22 2018DeJong is expected to open 2018 as the Cards' everyday starter at shortstop, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.Both middle-infield spots appear to be more set than the corners as the Cards approach the start of the Grapefruit League schedule. DeJong will look to trim his strikeout rate during his second season with St. Louis, having struck out 28.0 percent of the time as a rookie while swatting 25 homers in 443 plate appearances. With 38 combined homers between Triple-A and the big leagues last season, DeJong exceeded expectations in 2017, and his best chance of following up with a strong effort this season will require a more balanced approach at the plate.
Oct 1 2017DeJong is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers.DeJong enjoyed an unexpected breakout campaign in 2017, but will find himself on the bench for Game 162. Alex Mejia draws the start at shortstop in his stead.
Sep 29 2017DeJong went 3-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored in Friday's loss to the Brewers.The home run was DeJong's team-leading 25th of the season. A fourth-round pick in 2015, he broke into the majors in late May to little fanfare and ended up being one of the biggest surprises of the baseball season. DeJong's strikeout and walk rates are suspect, however; he'll be a tough player to rank and project in 2018.
Sep 28 2017DeJong went 2-for-4 with an RBI single and a double in Wednesday's 5-1 loss to the Cubs.The rookie provided his second consecutive multi-hit effort, games in which he has a pair of doubles as well as two RBI overall. DeJong has cooled off after driving in 20 runs in August, but he's still sporting a .330 wOBA and 33.9 percent hard-contact rate over his 100 plate appearances this month.
Sep 21 2017DeJong went 1-for-5 with a solo home run during Wednesday's win over Cincinnati.DeJong also homered in Tuesday's win over the Reds and is now up to 24 homers, 60 RBI, 50 runs and a .283/.320/.535 slash line for the campaign. He's provided a huge power boost for fantasy owners, as shortstop and second base are typically tougher positions to acquire pop from.
Sep 20 2017DeJong went 2-for-5 with a homer and two RBI against the Reds on Tuesday.He'd gone into a little skid over the past five games, going 2-for-18 with eight strikeouts, but DeJong has largely avoided lengthy slumps in his rookie season, and he pulled right out of this one. DeJong's 23 homers in 96 games project out to 38 over a full season's work, which is incredible in the middle infield, but it's unlikely that we'll see him maintain batting averages as solid as this year's .285 in the future if he continues striking out at such a high pace (29.1 percent).
Sep 12 2017DeJong went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, two runs scored and two RBI in Tuesday's 13-4 win over the Reds.DeJong struck out in his first at-bat, but took off from there with hits in each of his next three. The highlights of his night were a second-inning RBI double and a solo homer in the sixth. While he's now churned out multiple hits in three of his past four games, DeJong had accrued only one RBI in his previous eight games before this effort.
Sep 8 2017DeJong is out of the lineup Friday against the Pirates.DeJong has started every game since Aug. 3. In that time he's logged a .299/.347/.518 line, hit seven home runs, and driven in 23 runs. However, he's struggled a bit at the plate lately as he's gone just 6-for-28 (.214) over the last seven games. He'll sit out Friday while Alex Mejia gets the nod to start at shortstop.
Sep 4 2017DeJong went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Sunday's 7-3 win over the Giants.DeJong erased an early 1-0 deficit with a 386-foot shot to left in the fourth, snapping a rare long-ball drought. The slugging rookie had last gone deep on Aug. 19 prior to Sunday, with the 12-game span between round trippers equaling the longest such stretch of his young career. DeJong has been productive recently despite keeping the ball in the yard, as he's now hit safely in eight of his last 11 contests.
Sep 2 2017DeJong went 2-for-4 with a two-run double, a walk and a run in Friday's 11-6 win over the Giants.DeJong snapped right out of a rare 0-for-9 slump that had encompassed his previous two games, posting his third multi-hit effort in the last eight contests. The rookie racked up an impressive 20 RBI in August and got September off on the right foot in that regard with his timely two-bagger Friday.
Aug 30 2017DeJong went 2-for-5 with a walk, three RBI and two runs against the Brewers on Tuesday.All he's been doing is racking up stats. He endured a brief skid in late July and the first couple days of August, but DeJong emerged from it in impressive fashion -- over his last 23 games, he's gone 35-for-100 with six homers, 20 RBI and 15 runs. Even though he still strikes out too often and walks like Tuesday's are blessed rarities for the rookie, he's been a tremendous cross-category fantasy asset since taking over the shortstop job in St. Louis.
Aug 25 2017DeJong went 3-for-4 with a double and run in Thursday's 4-3 loss to the Padres.The rookie coaxed his batting average back over .300 with Thursday's production, which represented his 10th multi-hit effort of August. DeJong's spectacular rookie campaign includes 20 home runs in just 301 plate appearances, which has helped lead to a .573 slugging percentage and .906 OPS.
Aug 19 2017DeJong went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer and a walk Saturday against the Pirates.DeJong launched his 20th bomb of the campaign in the eighth inning as the Cardinals tried to mount a comeback, though they came up short. He's now homered in back-to-back games to raise his slugging percentage to .591 to go along with a .305 batting average, and he's been a fantasy superstar for the nearly three months he's been in the lineup.
Aug 18 2017DeJong went 3-for-5 with a homer, two runs and two RBI Friday against the Pirates.DeJong connected on his 19th blast of the year to extend the Cardinals' lead in the third inning of a divisional win. He continues to rake, and he's smashed five homers over his last 13 games, and he's been an elite fantasy option since joining the lineup in late-May.
Aug 14 2017DeJong went 3-for-5 with a solo home run in Sunday's 6-3 loss to the Braves.DeJong has already matched his first-half homer total (nine) in seven fewer games over the second half of the season. Four of those round trippers have come within the first 57 plate appearances of August, a stretch in which he's also posted a .410 wOBA and 26.7 percent HR/FB rate.
Aug 13 2017DeJong went 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Saturday's 6-5 win over the Braves.The rookie's 405-foot shot to center in the seventh extended the Cardinals' lead to a relatively comfortable 6-3 at the time, but the blast ended up being key to the win when the Braves scored two runs in the ninth. DeJong shows no signs of slowing down, as he's now bashed three homers in the last eight contests as part of a .306/.346/.551 line thus far in August.
Aug 11 2017DeJong went 2-for-3 with an RBI double, a walk and two runs in Thursday's 8-6 win over the Royals.DeJong's eighth-inning two-bagger provided the Cardinals with a key insurance run, and his overall tally represented his third multi-hit effort in the last five contests. While the rookie continues to struggle with strikeouts (32.6 percent whiff rate in August), he's also providing plenty of impactful contact, compiling a pair of homers and five RBI in his first nine games of the new month.
Aug 8 2017DeJong went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in Monday's 11-3 win over the Royals.DeJong put a capper on the Cardinals' second consecutive scoring barrage with a 384-foot shot to left with a man on in the ninth. The rookie has hits in four straight -- including a pair of homers and four RBI -- in his last four contests, and he's blasted 10 of his 16 round trippers over the last calendar month.
Aug 7 2017DeJong went 3-for-5 with a run in Sunday's 13-4 win over the Reds.The rookie opened August by going 0-for-9 over his first two games, but he's put that mini-slump firmly in the rearview mirror. DeJong punished Reds pitching over the three-game series, going 6-for-14 with a home run, two RBI and two runs. Factoring in multi-hit effort -- his second in the last three contests -- DeJong's season line is up to a solid .284/.308/.550, although his 31.3 percent strikeout rate has plenty of room for improvement.
Aug 5 2017DeJong went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Saturday's win over the Reds.His long ball off Luis Castillo in the third inning put the Cardinals ahead for good. DeJong's success has made for a great story, but many remain skeptical of his approach. He had been slumping coming into the series, managing one hit over his last five games (1-for-18), and his poor strikeout and walk rates point to further batting average regression.
Jul 27 2017DeJong went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 10-5 win over the Rockies.The rookie continued his long-ball tear with a 395-foot shot in the first with a man on that erased an early 2-0 deficit, his fourth homer over his last five games. DeJong blasted another quartet of round trippers in a seven-game stretch that was sandwiched around the All-Star break, so he's now accumulated more than half of his 14 homers on the season since July 7.
Jul 25 2017DeJong went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer against the Rockies on Tuesday.His first-inning bomb against Colorado starter Jon Gray got the Cardinals started off on the right foot, although they didn't score again until the ninth. DeJong has been mashing unrelentingly since being promoted to the majors, as his average is now up to .292 alongside 13 homers in 48 games --
Jul 23 2017DeJong, who went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 5-3 loss to the Cubs, is staking a claim to the everyday shortstop job previously held by Aledmys Diaz, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports. "The way he's going about it defensively, it's hard to see him being anywhere else right now," manager Mike Matheny said. "And you mix in the offense and what he's capable of doing, that really puts him as a pretty special shortstop."Last season, Diaz was the rookie that swooped in and displaced veteran Jhonny Peralta's job during the latter's absence in the early going of the campaign. Through his impressive play and Diaz's own struggles, DeJong may have already done the same. Factoring in Sunday's production, the rookie's season line stands at .284/.299/.574, and his 25 extra-base hits in 46 games heading into the contest had already tied him for first in that category in franchise history with Albert Pujols. DeJong's 15 extra-base hits in July are tops in the National League as well, and he's also been an asset defensively, posting a plus-5 in Defensive Runs Saved. With Diaz continuing to scuffle at the plate with Triple-A Memphis, it appears increasingly likely that DeJong's major-league audition will continue through the balance of 2017.
Jul 22 2017DeJong went 1-for-3 with a solo homer Saturday against the Cubs.DeJong launched his 11th bomb of the season off Jon Lester to break up a scoreless tie in the eighth inning of a losing effort. In less than two months in the majors, the rookie's shown exceptional power, as evidenced by a .558 slugging percentage while also offering a reasonable .279 batting average.
Jul 17 2017DeJong went 1-for-5 with a two-run home run during Monday's win over the Mets.The 23-year-old middle infielder has been a pleasant surprise for the Cards and fantasy owners. DeJong is now up to 10 homers, 22 RBI, 18 runs with a .299/.315/.583 slash line through just 149 plate appearances and is establishing himself as a strong fantasy asset in the majority of settings. After posting a .571 slugging percentage with Triple-A Memphis before his promotion to the majors, there is some sustainability in his pop, too. However, DeJong's .367 BABIP is also almost certain to decline.
Jul 9 2017DeJong went 4-for-4 with two RBI from a run-scoring double and a solo home run in Saturday's 4-1 win over the Mets. He also hit two other two-baggers and scored twice.The rookie's line is up to .306/.326/.581 following Saturday's effort, which also extended his hitting streak to five games. DeJong has also homered in back-to-back contests and is hitting .435 with seven extra-base hits over his first eight games of July.
Jul 9 2017DeJong went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's 6-0 win over the Mets.DeJong was one of three St. Louis batters to go deep in this one along with Tommy Pham and Luke Voit, and has now hit one out in three consecutive contests. The 23-year-old rookie is slashing an impressive .313/.331/.602 through 36 games, though those numbers are boosted by an extremely high .378 BABIP.
Jul 8 2017DeJong went 3-for-4 with a double and a solo home run in Friday's loss to the Mets.He's stabilized the shortstop position since taking over from Aledmys Diaz, and DeJong is now slashing .304/.333/.582 with six homers, 12 runs and 13 RBI in his last 22 games. The 2015 fourth-round pick made a quick ascent through the Cards system and while his 4:38 BB:K so far in the majors suggests his batting average is due for some regression, his power numbers are for real -- he slugged 22 homers last year at Double-A and already has 20 between Triple-A Memphis and St, Louis this season.
Jul 6 2017DeJong is out of the lineup Thursday against the Marlins.DeJong will retreat to the bench for the series finale against Miami following three consecutive starts. With Jedd Gyorko (leg) back in the lineup and playing third base, the Redbirds will place Greg Garcia in at short and give Matt Carpenter a day at second.
Jul 2 2017DeJong is out of Sunday's lineup against the Nationals.After starting 16 straight games, DeJong takes a seat in favor of Greg Garcia, who will bat seventh and man second base. Over his string of consecutive starts, DeJong has hit .290 with five home runs and an atrocious 20:2 K:BB in 62 at-bats.
Jul 1 2017DeJong went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in Friday's 8-1 win over the Nationals.The rookie continues to impress, with Friday's home run extending his hitting streak to nine games. That stretch includes three homers and helped him finish June with 14 RBI. With Aledmys Diaz having been sent down to Triple-A Memphis, DeJong figures to have an extended opportunity to continue solidifying his standing with the big-league club over the next few weeks at a minimum.
Jun 27 2017DeJong went 3-for-4 with a double and a run in Monday's 8-2 win over the Reds.The 23-year-old has put together a solid June and has now hit safely in five straight, as well as in nine of his last 11 overall. DeJong also has four home runs and 11 RBI during the month, which has helped lead to a .286/.294/.524 line over his first 85 major-league plate appearances. The pop he's displayed is an extension of the success he was enjoying at Triple-A Memphis before being called up, as he'd already racked up 22 extra-base hits (nine doubles, 13 homers) across his first 48 games of the season with the Redbirds.
Jun 24 2017DeJong went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 4-3 loss to the Pirates.DeJong's 405-foot blast to right, his second in as many games, gave the Cardinals a 3-2 lead they would ultimately relinquish. The 23-year-old has displayed excellent pop in June, smacking four round trippers over his last seven games alone and adding a pair of two-baggers during the month as well. Factoring in Friday's production, DeJong's average and slugging are up to a solid .264 and .528, respectively, but the fact he's only drawn one walk in 73 plate appearances has his OBP at an unsightly .274.
Jun 22 2017DeJong went 1-for-3 with a solo home run during Thursday's loss to Philadelphia.With Kolten Wong (forearm) on the disabled list, DeJong is receiving plenty of playing time and hitting well. Since being recalled from the minors on June 14, the 23-year-old infielder has gone 8-for-37 at the dish with three homers, six RBI and five runs. DeJong sports a .265/.275/.500 slash line for the campaign and sports fleeting fantasy value in deeper settings.
Jun 17 2017DeJong went 3-for-4 with three RBI from a run-scoring single and a two-run home run in Friday's 11-2 win over the Orioles.One of the more impressive aspects of what was the best game of the 23-year-old's nascent career was the fact that he did his damage out of the nine-hole. DeJong is likely in for a stretch of starts with Kolten Wong (forearm) back on the shelf for the time being, and he's proven capable of holding his own against major-league pitching in his brief stints with the Cardinals; factoring in Friday's production, he's slashing .286/.469/.286 with three doubles, two home runs and seven RBI over the first 49 at-bats.
Jun 15 2017DeJong was recalled from Triple-A Memphis on Thursday, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.After being sent back to Memphis on Monday, DeJong will rejoin the Cardinals just three days later with Kolten Wong (triceps) headed to the disabled list. The 23-year-old started nine games at the keystone during Wong's last DL stint, so he seems to be a good bet to garner at-bats while Wong is sidelined. He slashed .244/.244/390 with a 13:0 K:BB in 41 at-bats during his first stint with the big club.
Jun 9 2017DeJong is not in the lineup Friday against the Phillies, David Solomon of 550 KTRS reports.DeJong has been the primary second baseman for St. Louis since his callup in late May, although he'll head to the bench now that regular second baseman Kolten Wong is back from the disabled list. It's unclear how manager Mike Matheny plans to divvy up playing time moving forward, although DeJong's recent skid at the plate could spell a reduction in playing time for him or even a demotion back to the minor leagues.
May 31 2017DeJong will start at second base and bat seventh Wednesday against the Dodgers.DeJong has kicked off his major-league career with three hits in eight at-bats, and it appears manager Mike Matheny is content to keep the youngster in the lineup while his bat remains hot and Kolten Wong (elbow) remains on the disabled list. He'll pick up his third straight start at the keystone Wednesday.
May 30 2017DeJong went 2-for-4 with a double in Monday's 5-1 loss to the Dodgers.After homering in a pinch-hit capacity in his first major-league at-bat Sunday against the Rockies, DeJong was the only Cardinal to log a multi-hit effort in Monday's loss. DeJong was slashing a solid .294/.331/.541 over 182 plate appearances at Triple-A Memphis before his call-up, so his early success at the big-league level is an extension of his efforts with the Redbirds. He projects to see a string of starts while Kolten Wong (elbow) remains on the disabled list, although he's presently expected to return to the minors for further seasoning upon the latter's return.
May 28 2017DeJong hit a pinch-hit solo home run in Sunday's loss to Colorado.DeJong became the 119th player in major league history to hit a home run in his first at-bat, the 20th as a pinch hitter, doing it on the same day he was recalled from Triple-A Memphis. He connected for a solo shot off Rockies closer Greg Holland on just the second pitch he saw. DeJong was called up to replace an injured Kolten Wong, bringing a versatile glove with him. Apparently the pop he showcased in the minors is real, too. He hit a team-high 11 home runs before being recalled. DeJong is expected to fill in at multiple positions along the St. Louis infield.
May 28 2017DeJong was recalled from Triple-A Memphis on Sunday, Jim Hayes of Fox Sports Midwestreports.DeJong will get the call in the wake of infielder Kolten Wong's placement on the DL due to an elbow strain. Though Greg Garcia will draw the start Sunday against the Rockies, DeJong is a candidate to see reps at the keystone for the duration of Wong's absence. Over 219 at-bats at Memphis this year, DeJong owns a .799 OPS with five home runs and 13 stolen bases. He's seen reps at second, third and shortstop this season, so the 23-year-old's versatility could come in handy if any other St. Louis regulars need a day off.