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| The St. Louis Cardinals have activated catcher Gerald Laird from the disabled list and optioned Mark Hamilton to Memphis. - Photo courtesy of Getty Images |
In order to make room for Laird, the Cardinals optioned left-handed hitting first baseman Mark Hamilton back to Triple AAA Memphis.
Laird has appeared in 15 games this season for the Cardinals, hitting .214 on the season with four RBI's. The 31 year old catcher signed a $1 million contract this off-season to be the back-up behind Cardinals All-Star catcher Yadier Molina.
Laird was not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, but will likely see some time during the four game series.
Hamilton was sent down instead of catcher Tony Cruz likely because of Cruz's ability to play multiple positions. Cruz is a stellar defensive catcher but also can fill in at both third and first base, giving manager Tony La Russa the type of depth and flexibility he covets on his bench.
The Cardinals also bolstered their beleaguered bullpen by calling up P.J. Walters and sending down rookie Brandon Dickson.
Dickson, who has been outstanding since making his debut for the Cardinals in recent days, pitched two innings in the Cardinals 12 inning loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night. With the bullpen depleted the Cardinals needed a fresh arm and Dickson was the player with the most options.
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