Bader called to St. Louis for Major League debut

Harrison Bader's second go-round at Triple-A has been much better than his first, and it's earned him a shot in the Major Leagues.
The Cardinals promoted their No. 6 prospect from Triple-A Memphis on Tuesday to take the roster spot of the injured Dexter Fowler, who was placed on the 10-day disabled list in a corresponding move.

Bader, 23, was hitting .297/.354/.517 with 19 homers, 48 RBIs, 62 runs scored and nine stolen bases in 97 games in the Pacific Coast League. His OPS has risen in each of the past two months and he's hit .316/.364/.579 since the beginning of June.

The 2015 third-round pick out of Florida broke out in his first full season in 2016, posting a .283/.351/.497 line with 16 homers and 11 steals in 82 games at Double-A Springfield before being promoted to Memphis. He struggled in his initial PCL opportunity, batting .231 with three homers and a .652 OPS in 49 games, but made the necessary adjustments to succeed in 2017.
Bader lacks a singular plus tool on the 20-80 scale, but his all-around skill set and ability to play center field long-term make him valuable to the Cardinals, who will give him his first taste of the Majors while Fowler recovers from a strained left forearm.