Cardinals Minor League Notebook – May 22, 2026

photo: Heriberto Caraballo (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The St. Louis Cardinals minor league system was a perfect 4-0 on Thursday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Palm Beach’s Heriberto Caraballo, was 3-for-5 with a grand slam and a career-high five RBI. Other standouts include Pete Hansen, Max Rajcic, Jack Findlay, Mason Burns, Tre Richardson III, Josh Kross, Facundo Velásquez, Cameron Nickens and Michael Dattalo.

Results for games played on Thursday, May 21, 2026.

Memphis Redbirds 1 at Iowa Cubs 0

The Triple-A Memphis Redbirds blanked the Iowa Cubs in a nail-biter in Des Moines on Thursday afternoon.

Pete Hansen made his eighth start for Springfield. The left-hander threw five scoreless innings on two hits, no walks, and six strikeouts. Hansen collected his first win at the Triple-A level.

Pete Hansen

Hancel Rincon tossed a scoreless sixth inning in relief of Hansen. Luis Gastelum followed with a shutout seventh. Skylar Hales fired a scoreless eighth. Max Rajcic pitched a scoreless ninth inning, stranding the winning run on base to secure his fifth save.

The Redbirds broke the scoreless tie in the top of the sixth inning. Joshua Báez was hit by a pitch and stole second base. Lars Nootbaar walked and Blaze Jordan hit an infield single to load the bases with no outs. Leo Bernal brought Báez home via a sacrifice fly to put the Redbirds in front 1-0, though a double play halted the inning.

In a wild finish, left fielder Matt Koperniak threw out the potential tying run at home plate for the final out of the game.

The Redbirds scored one run on four hits. Jordan was 3-for-4 with a double, the team’s only extra-base hit. Bernal walked, singled, and notched an RBI. Nootbaar drew a walk in the second Triple-A game of his rehab assignment.

On the bases, Báez stole his 11th bag.

On defense, the Redbirds turned two double plays. Koperniak nailed a runner at home plate from left field to highlight an errorless team performance.

Memphis is 29-19 on the season. They hold a one-game lead over Nashville for first place in the International League West Division.

Friday’s game: at Iowa. LHP Quinn Mathews (1-3, 5.23) vs. RHP Javier Assad (0-0, 9.00) 7:08 PM CT.

Springfield Cardinals 5 at Arkansas Travelers 3

The Double-A Springfield Cardinals edged the Travelers in Little Rock, Arkansas on Thursday.

Chen-Wei Lin made his sixth start in his eighth appearance for Springfield. The right-hander pitched 4 ⅔ innings and allowed two runs on two hits, four walks, and two strikeouts.

Jack Findlay

Left-hander Jack Findlay fired two scoreless, hitless innings in relief of Lin and picked up his second win of the season. Austin Love followed and yielded a run across 1 ⅓ innings. Mason Burns threw a shutout ninth inning to collect his fifth save on the year and lower his ERA to 1.27.

Springfield struck first with a four-run top of the third inning. Travis Honeyman walked, Jeremy Rivas singled, and Graysen Tarlow reached on a fielding error to load the bags with no outs. Noah Mendlinger legged out an infield single to score Honeyman with the bases still loaded. Rivas crossed home plate on a Rainiel Rodriguez sacrifice fly with Rivas to third base. Pinch-hitting for Chase Davis, Zach Levenson plated Tarlow on a groundout. Miguel Ugueto singled home Mendlinger to extend the lead to 4-0.

Arkansas scored single runs in the home third, fifth, and seventh innings to move within a run at 4-3.

Springfield tallied an insurance run in the eighth. Rodriguez took a one-out walk and moved to second base on a single from Levenson. Ugueto singled on an infield popup to load the bases with one away. Jon Jon Gazdar grounded into a forceout, with Rodriguez coming home.

Springfield pitching held Arkansas to just 1-for-3 with runners in scoring position in the win.

The Cardinals scored five runs on seven hits, all singles. Ugueto was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Rivas went 2-for-4 with a run scored. Rodriguez walked, scored a run, and drove in a run. Gazdar tallied an RBI. Honeyman walked twice and scored a run.

The Cardinals did not steal a base nor commit an error.

Springfield is 17-25 on the season.

Friday’s game: at Arkansas. LHP Liam Doyle (0-2, 6.04) vs. LHP Kade Anderson (3-0, 1.85) 7:05 PM CT.

Peoria Chiefs 9, Cedar Rapids Kernels 6

The High-A Peoria Chiefs outslugged the Cedar Rapids Kernels at Dozer Park on Thursday night.

Nate Dohm made his seventh start for Peoria. The right-hander tossed three innings and allowed four runs on four hits, two walks, and three strikeouts.

Nolan Sparks

Nolan Sparks yielded one run with three strikeouts across a season-high five innings in relief of Dohm. Sparks collected his third win of 2026. Jason Savacool allowed an unearned run but struck out two in the ninth to finish the game.

The Kernels opened scoring with a four-run top of the second inning.

The Chiefs quickly narrowed the gap with three runs in the home half of the frame. Josh Kross walked, Luis Pino singled, and Christian Martin was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Following a strikeout and a lineout, Tre Richardson III cleared the bases with a double to bring Peoria within one run at 4-3.

Tre Richardson

The Chiefs claimed the lead with three runs in the fourth. Martin was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game to open the frame. Sammy Hernandez singled. Richardson III lined his second double of the night to score Martin and Hernandez and put the Chiefs in front 5-4.

Won-Bin Cho singled home Richardson III for a 6-4 Chiefs lead, though Cho was thrown out at second base on the play.

The Chiefs plated two runs in the home seventh. Kross drew a lead-off walk. Pino roped a double to put two Chiefs in scoring position. Martin walked to load the bases with nobody away. Hernandez walked to force Kross home. Cho drew a two-out bases-loaded walk to plate Pino and stretch the lead to 8-4.

Cedar Rapids scored once in the top of the eighth to move within three runs.

Peoria took the run back in the home eighth when Kross belted his fifth home run of the season, a solo shot.

Josh Kross

The Kernels scored a run in the ninth but it was not enough to spoil the Chiefs’ night.

The Chiefs scored nine runs on nine hits. Richardson III was 2-for-3, both doubles, a walk, a run scored, and a career-high five RBI. The game marked Richardson III’s first multi-RBI game of 2026. Kross walked twice, hit a solo home run and scored three runs. Cho drew three walks, singled, and recorded two RBI. Hernandez took two walks, singled, drove in a run and scored. Pino was 2-for-5 with a double and two runs scored.

On the basepaths, Cho was thrown out at second base.

Defensively, center fielder Cho, first baseman Kross, and catcher Hernandez each committed a fielding error. Pitcher Savacool made a throwing error.

Peoria is 17-24 on the season.

Friday’s game: vs. Cedar Rapids. RHP Tanner Franklin (0-1, 3.29) vs. LHP Dasan Hill (1-3, 5.47) 6:35 PM CT.

Palm Beach Cardinals 18 at St. Lucie Mets 6

The Low-A Palm Beach Cardinals offense crushed Mets pitching in St. Lucie on Thursday.

Payton Graham started for the Cardinals in his Low-A debut. The right-hander threw 3 ⅓ innings and allowed three runs on three hits, two walks, and five strikeouts.

Kaden Echeman recorded the final two outs of the fourth inning in relief of Graham and picked up his fourth win. Jake Shelagowski gave up two runs and struck out six across three innings. Hunter Kublick tossed a shutout eighth frame. Justin Militello yielded a run in the ninth.

St. Lucie struck first with two runs in the home first. The Cardinals entered the run column with a run in the second inning. Cameron Nickens doubled and moved to third on a wild pitch. Johnfrank Salazar ripped a two-out double to plate Nickens and bring Palm Beach within one at 2-1.

Johnfrank Salazar

Palm Beach tied the game in the top of the third inning. Ryan Weingartner opened with a single. Ryan Mitchell walked. Michael Dattalo lined a single, though Weingartner was thrown out at home plate. Dattalo and Mitchell advanced on a balk. Nickens walked to load the bags. Trevor Haskins took a bases-loaded walk to force Mitchell home.

St. Lucie regained the lead with a run in the home third.

Palm Beach erupted for eight runs in the fifth. Mitchell singled. Dattalo reached on a throwing error to put both runners in scoring position. Yordalin Peña ripped a single to bring Mitchell home with Dattalo to third base.

Yordalin Peña

Nickens walked to load the bases. With one out, Heriberto Caraballo hit a soft infield single to the pitcher and he threw away to allow Dattalo, Peña, and Nickens to score as the Cardinals grabbed a 6-3 lead, with Caraballo to third base.

Heriberto Caraballo

Salazar walked and swiped second base to put two runners in scoring position. Facundo Velásquez hit his second double with Palm Beach to score Caraballo and Salazar for an 8-3 lead.

Facundo Velasquez

Weingartner followed with a walk. Following an ABS challenge, Mitchell’s strike three turned into ball four to reload the bases with one out. Dattalo legged out an infield single to extend the Palm Beach lead to 9-3. Nickens drew a bases-loaded walk to bring Weingartner home and put the Cardinals in double digits at 10-3.

The Mets plated a pair of runs in the home fifth to narrow the lead to 10-5.

The Cardinals put together another big inning with a five-run seventh. Dattalo drew a one-out walk and moved to third base on a Peña double. Peña advanced to third base and Dattalo came home on a balk. Nickens and Haskins took back-to-back walks to load the bags with one out. Caraballo crushed a grand slam, his second long ball of 2026, to stretch the lead to 15-5.

The Cardinals’ offense stayed red-hot with a three-run top of the ninth. Haskins began the frame with his seventh double of the season. Caraballo was hit by a pitch and Salazar singled to load the bases with no outs. Velásquez lined a single to score Haskins. Weingartner reached base on a fielding error with Caraballo coming home. Mitchell grounded into a forceout, with Salazar home on the play to widen the lead to 18-5.

St. Lucie scored once in the home ninth but was unable to overcome the immense Palm Beach lead.

The Cardinals scored 18 runs on 16 hits. Caraballo was 3-for-5, including three runs scored, a grand slam, and a career-high five RBI. Dattalo went 3-for-6 with a walk, two runs scored, a double, and an RBI. Velásquez went 2-for-4 with two walks, a double, a run scored, and three RBI. Peña doubled and drove in a run in a two-hit performance.

Salazar was 2-for-4, including two walks, two runs scored, a double, and an RBI. Nickens drew four walks, doubled, scored three runs, and notched an RBI. Haskins walked twice, scored twice, hit a double, and drove in a run. Mitchell walked three times, scored twice, singled, and drove in a run. Weingartner walked, scored a run, singled, and drove in a run.

Every player in the starting lineup recorded an RBI and seven of nine drew a walk. The lineup drew 15 total free passes.

Salazar stole second base. Velásquez and Mitchell were both caught stealing second base.

On defense, shortstop Haskins committed a fielding error.

Palm Beach is 24-18 on the season. They are one game behind Jupiter for first place in the Florida State League East Division.

Friday’s game: at St. Lucie. Pitching probables have not yet been announced. First pitch is scheduled for 5:10 PM CT.

FCL Cardinals (off day)

The Florida Complex League Cardinals were off Thursday, as they prepared for a home contest with the FCL Astros. Friday’s contest will serve as the makeup of Monday’s suspended game.

The contest will resume with a runner at second base and one out in the bottom of the first inning in a scoreless game.

The Cardinals enter play following a 7-0 shutout of the FCL Marlins at home on Wednesday.

The FCL Cardinals are 5-7 on the season.

Friday’s game: Pitching probables have not yet been announced. The game is scheduled to be completed at 11:00 AM CT.

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