The St. Louis Cardinals called up Cuban infielder César Prieto from Triple-A Memphis this Sunday, marking his third call to the Major Leagues in the 2026 season.
According to journalist Francys Romero, the move occurred because shortstop JJ Wetherholt was placed on the 10-day injured list due to right wrist tendinitis, as reported by journalist Francys Romero.
Wetherholt, one of the most promising prospects on the team this rookie season, was placed on the IL after going 0-4 on Saturday, although for the entire year he has respectable stats: a batting average of .242, 17 home runs, 48 RBIs, and 88 runs scored.
Prieto, born in Cienfuegos on May 10, 1999, comes with very modest numbers in his 2026 experience in the big leagues: just two hits in 31 at-bats, resulting in an average of .065, with no home runs or runs batted in.
However, the situation in Triple-A Memphis tells a completely different story.
In 79 games with Memphis this season, the player from Cienfuegos has been a dominant hitter: batting average of .308 with 12 home runs and 43 RBIs, slash line of .308/.367/.505 that places him among the best hitters in the league.
That gap between his performance in the minors and his struggles in MLB has been the recurring pattern of his career with the Cardinals.
The first call-up of the season came on May 4, when the Cardinals needed him to cover for Lars Nootbaar's absence; the second occurred on August 4, again due to an absence of the same player.
After that second call, he was sent back to Memphis on August 14 following a very poor offensive stint, and just two weeks later, the Cardinals had him back again.
Prieto defected from the Cuban national team in May 2021 to pursue his dream of reaching the Major Leagues, and he joined the Cardinals' system in August 2023 as part of the deal involving pitcher Jack Flaherty's trade to Baltimore.
His MLB debut took place on August 29, 2025, against the Cincinnati Reds, making him the 33rd player born in Cuba to appear in a regular season of Major League Baseball.
In the Cuban National Series, where he developed his skills starting at the age of 18, Prieto recorded an average of .365 over 247 games, figures that foreshadowed the talent he later displayed in the U.S. minor leagues.
This third call-up in the same season represents a new opportunity for the player from Cienfuegos to demonstrate that he can transfer his Triple-A performance to the most challenging stage of professional baseball.
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