Cardinals recall former Cubs outfielder ahead of high-stakes rivalry matchup

It's been nearly three years since the Chicago Cubs traded Nelson Velazquez to the Kansas City Royals, but this weekend, the former Chicago outfielder will have a chance to be a torn in the side of his former team.

Cardinals recall former Cubs outfielder ahead of high-stakes rivalry matchup. It's been nearly three years since the Chicago Cubs traded Nelson Velazquez to the Kansas City Royals, but this weekend, the former Chicago outfielder will have a chance to be a torn in the side of his former team. Ahead of a rivalry matchup at Busch Stadium, the St. Louis Cardinals recalled Velazquez, who has, up until this point in 2026, been with the team's Triple-A affiliate. With Memphis, the 27-year-old outfielder has slashed a pretty pedestrian .232/.344/.420 slash line. He's struck out in nearly 30 percent of his trips to the plate, but has also walked more than 13 percent of the time. Velazquez hasn't appeared in an MLB game since 2024, when he played 64 games with the Royals. He's only a career .212 hitter in the big leagues, including a .193 career ma...