Masyn Winn’s 2026 season is over, with the St. Louis Cardinals shutting down their starting shortstop because of lingering thumb and hand soreness.
Winn was scratched from Saturday’s lineup against the Milwaukee Brewers after the thumb continued to bother him. The Cardinals will also keep him out of Sunday’s regular-season finale, with Thomas Saggese set to start at shortstop.
The decision comes less than three weeks after Winn returned from the injured list. He suffered a fractured left thumb while sliding into second base on Aug. 19 and was placed on the 10-day IL before being activated Sept. 8.
Winn appeared in 14 games after returning, but the results were not what the Cardinals hoped to see. He hit just .158/.238/.211 during that stretch, leaving him at .232/.308/.317 with five home runs, 56 RBI and 10 stolen bases for the season.
The 24-year-old shortstop had previously shown more offensive production, hitting .267 with 15 home runs and a .730 OPS in 2024 before batting .253 with a .673 OPS last season. His defensive value has remained an important part of his role in St. Louis.
Saggese will get the final-game opportunity at shortstop. The 24-year-old has played multiple positions for St. Louis this season and entered the weekend batting .238 with four home runs, 13 RBI and a .666 OPS in 151 at-bats.
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The Cardinals entered Sunday at 77-83 and eighth in the National League, while Milwaukee had already reached 101 wins and secured the NL Central. St. Louis has nothing left to play for in the standings, making the decision to give Winn additional rest straightforward.
For Winn, the focus now shifts to getting the thumb fully healthy. The Cardinals will finish the season with Saggese at shortstop before turning their attention to the offseason.
