Cardinals' Aledmys Diaz still absent from lineup

St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Aledmys Diaz (eye) remains out of the starting lineup on Thursday against the Kansas City Royals.

What It Means:

Diaz was hit above his eye by a foul ball during Monday's game, and he's not quite ready to return, making Thursday his third consecutive game out of the lineup. It's possible he'll be able to play this weekend. The Cardinals could use him as they've lost two of the three games he's missed, scoring four total runs in those contests.

The 25-year-old rookie has had an impressive start to his big-league career, slashing .316/.374/.523 with 10 home runs and a .376 wOBA in 287 plate appearances. Our models project his pace to slow over the rest of the season, projecting him to hit .271/.328/.436 with nine home runs and a .333 wOBA.