West Virginia Professional Athletes

Two West Virginia alumni are sharing the same outfield — and infield — dirt in St. Louis as the Cardinals squeeze every last win out of a tense September.

Wetherholt Returns, ROY Race Reignites

JJ Wetherholt's name never really left the NL Rookie of the Year conversation. His wrist did, though. The Cardinals activated the rookie second baseman off the 10-day injured list Wednesday, September 17, ending a stint that dated back to August 30 when right wrist tendinitis shut him down. To clear roster space, St. Louis designated veteran infielder Ramón Urías for assignment — a pointed signal of where the organization's priorities lie. Urías was subsequently released outright.

Wetherholt wasted little time reminding everyone why this move mattered. He recorded a hit in St. Louis' Wednesday matchup with San Francisco and was slashing .242 by the time the Cardinals hosted Washington over the weekend, contributing a hit and an RBI in a 5-8 loss on September 19. His defense may be the quieter story: The Sporting News flagged Wetherholt as a legitimate Gold Glove Award candidate, arguing his work at second base is even stronger than the surface numbers suggest.

On the Rookie of the Year front, Sports Illustrated and CBS Sports both framed his return as a genuine threat to Reds slugger Sal Stewart, who currently holds the lead in most projections. The Cardinals had less than two weeks of regular season remaining upon Wetherholt's activation, making every plate appearance a referendum. His window is narrow — but it's open.

Victor Scott II Holds Down Center

While Wetherholt grabbed the headlines, fellow Mountaineer Victor Scott II has been a steady presence in center field for St. Louis throughout the week. Scott II appeared in every game covered by this period, batting .194–.196 as the Cardinals navigated a series split with the Giants and a rough weekend against Washington. The batting average reflects a tough stretch, but Scott II's speed and defense in center have kept him in the lineup.

The two WVU products lining up together in a Cardinals uniform during a meaningful September is a notable footnote to an already compelling Cardinals story. St. Louis used Wetherholt's absence as a crucible, and his return gives the club a different look heading into the final days of the season.

Grove Moves On

Away from St. Louis, WVU pitcher Michael Grove had a transaction of his own this week. The Braves claimed Grove off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays on September 15, optioning him to Triple-A Gwinnett. Grove won a World Series ring with the Dodgers before landing in Tampa Bay, and Atlanta's claim keeps his 2026 season alive, at least at the minor-league level.

The bigger WVU story, though, belongs to Wetherholt. A Rookie of the Year award for a Mountaineer would be the program's most prominent MLB individual honor in recent memory — and with less than two weeks left to make the case, the clock is very much ticking.

JJ Wetherholt: Return Imminent, Resume Already Impressive

West Virginia's most prominent MLB name right now isn't playing — and that might be the biggest story in the Cardinals' stretch run.

JJ Wetherholt landed on the injured list August 30 with right wrist tendinitis, but St. Louis has received positive updates on the rookie second baseman's recovery timeline, and a return appears to be drawing close. That's welcome news for a Cardinals club still in the thick of the NL playoff picture — and for Wetherholt himself, who has too much on the line to sit for long.

He's firmly in the NL Rookie of the Year conversation, with Sal Stewart and Nolan McLean the other names most frequently cited as his competition. Given how crowded that race is, every game missed matters. But Wetherholt's candidacy isn't limited to one award: The Sporting News has already projected him as a Gold Glove winner at second base, calling the case essentially unarguable. That hardware, at least, doesn't require him to stay healthy down the stretch to clinch.

His return does, however, create some Cardinals roster shuffles worth watching. Thomas Saggese has held down the position in Wetherholt's absence, and the Cardinals will need to figure out his role once the WVU product is back. Fellow Mountaineer alum Victor Scott II is facing his own roster pressure — Sports Illustrated reported this week that Scott, batting .197 on the season, has no clear path to regular playing time on the current Cardinals' roster.

Brody Hopkins Gets His Shot in Tampa

Across the league, another Mountaineer made news of the more celebratory variety. The Tampa Bay Rays selected right-hander Brody Hopkins' contract ahead of their September 8 game, giving the WVU alum his first taste of the major leagues. To open a 40-man roster spot for Hopkins, the Rays designated fellow WVU alumnus Michael Grove for assignment — a bittersweet footnote that meant one Mountaineer's opportunity came directly at another's expense.

Hopkins joins a Rays roster that has leaned heavily on pitching depth all season, and his selection signals Tampa's belief that he's ready to contribute at the big-league level.

Kade Strowd: Back and Forth in Arizona

Out in the desert, WVU right-hander Kade Strowd has been caught in the rotation shuffle that comes with a contending team getting healthy. Strowd was optioned to Triple-A after the Diamondbacks activated Zac Gallen and Michael Soroka from the IL, only to be recalled days later when Arizona activated Corbin Burnes. He logged 1.2 innings in his September 8 appearance against the Royals, carrying a 3.38 ERA. With Arizona's 40-man roster now full, his grip on a roster spot remains tenuous as the season winds down.

---

Three WVU alumni generating legitimate headlines in the same week — one chasing end-of-year hardware, one earning a first call-up, one navigating the volatility of a bullpen arm on a playoff team. The Mountaineers' footprint in professional baseball keeps growing, and this week was a solid reminder of how wide it's spread.