In a move aimed at revitalizing their struggling squad, the St. Louis Cardinals announced on Wednesday that they have optioned right fielder Jordan Walker and left-handed pitcher Zack Thompson to Triple-A Memphis. The Cardinals will be recalling infielder Jose Fermin and southpaw John King from Memphis to fill their spots on the roster.

The 21-year-old Jordan Walker, who entered the 2023 season as one of the game's top prospects, has had a difficult start to the year. After an impressive rookie season, he has struggled at the plate in his sophomore year, hitting a disappointing .155 with no home runs in his first 67 plate appearances. Given the magnitude of his struggles and the Cardinals' slow start to the season with a 10-14 record, the team has decided to send Walker down to Triple-A in an effort to help him regain his form.

This is not the first time that Walker has been optioned to Memphis due to offensive struggles. Last season, he began his career with a 12-game hitting streak but experienced a slump afterward, leading to his option to Triple-A in late April. However, he made a strong comeback after returning to the majors on June 2, finishing the season with impressive numbers: a .277 batting average, 16 home runs, and a solid walk rate.

With Walker headed to Memphis, the Cardinals will now turn to Alec Burleson, Michael Siani, and Lars Nootbaar in the outfield. This lineup is not what the team had initially envisioned, as they continue to be without Dylan Carlson and Tommy Edman due to injuries. Additionally, prospect Victor Scott II has also been optioned to Memphis after struggling at the plate.

In terms of service time, Walker's assignment is unlikely to affect his free agent timeline but could potentially impact his path to arbitration. Despite this setback, he has already accumulated enough service time to reach the one-year mark this season and remains on track for free agency in 2029.

The recall of Jose Fermin to the big leagues has caught the attention of Cardinals' fans, given his impressive performance in Memphis. The 25-year-old struggled during his MLB debut last year but has been on fire this season with a .350 batting average, four home runs, and a perfect stolen base record. While it's unlikely that Fermin can maintain this level of production against major league pitching, he will have the opportunity to prove himself and secure a spot on the big league roster.

As for Zack Thompson, the 26-year-old pitcher was rocked early in the season, both as a starter and in a long relief role. With just one solid performance in between, Thompson has conceded a total of 18 runs in 13 2/3 innings. In his place, John King will now take on the role, having displayed some promise in his limited appearances this season.

The Cardinals are hopeful that these roster adjustments will provide a much-needed boost to their struggling team. As they look to turn their season around, the performances of Walker, Fermin, and King will be closely watched to see if they can make a positive impact on the field.