Joshua Bez sits against Yamamoto after Tuesday blast
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Joshua Bez is not in Wednesday's lineup against Los Angeles Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, NBC Sports reports. The 23-year-old sits a day after a solo homer in a blowout win in Los Angeles and remains an all-or-nothing early contributor with six home runs in 17 games since his call-up.
Key Takeaways
- Joshua Bez is out of Wednesday's Cardinals lineup opposite Dodgers workhorse Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
- He homered Tuesday off lefty Justin Wrobleski in St. Louis's blowout win in Los Angeles.
- Through 17 games he is hitting .175/.238/.526 with six home runs, 11 RBI and two steals.
- His strikeout rate sits just over 36 percent across 63 plate appearances since the August call-up.
- NBC Sports expects him back Thursday against left-handed ace Tarik Skubal.
The sitting decision lands one night after another power flash from the Cardinals' rising outfielder. FantasyPros notes Joshua Baez went 1-for-3 Tuesday with a home run, a walk, two runs scored, one RBI and one strikeout as St. Louis outslugged Los Angeles.
That blast was his sixth major-league homer. According to NBC Sports, it came off Dodgers lefty Justin Wrobleski during Tuesday's blowout. The benching against Yamamoto is the latest twist in a debut stretch that already feels historic and volatile at once.
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What do Joshua Bez's early MLB numbers look like?
FantasyPros lists the 17-game slash line at .175/.238/.526 with six home runs, 11 RBI and two stolen bases. Six of his 10 MLB hits have left the yard, underscoring the boom-or-bust profile NBC Sports flagged for fantasy managers.
Contact remains the challenge. He has struck out 23 times in 63 plate appearances, a rate NBC Sports pegs at just over 36 percent. The 23-year-old top prospect is producing loud outcomes when he connects, yet the whiffs explain why every lineup card still draws scrutiny.
Even so, the power has been unmistakable. Homering in six of 17 games since being called up last month keeps joshua bez firmly on the radar for Cardinals fans and fantasy leagues alike.
How did Joshua Báez arrive at this moment?
Context for the buzz dates to his debut. An opinion piece in the Pictou Advocate recounts that on Aug. 15, 2026, against the Chicago Cubs, Báez hit three home runs in his first major-league game, including a first-pitch blast in his first plate appearance.
That column places him alone as the only player to begin a career with three home runs in one game, with all three coming off Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd. Whether measured by debut folklore or September lineup decisions, the story moves fast.
Wednesday's sit versus Yamamoto pauses the at-bats, not the narrative. NBC Sports says he will probably return for Thursday's series finale opposite Tarik Skubal, another left-handed ace and a clearer stylistic rematch after Tuesday's homer off Wrobleski.
Why does the Yamamoto sit matter for fantasy and fans?
Short-term, managers lose a volatile bat against a Dodgers workhorse. Longer term, the pattern is clearer: joshua bez is still hunting consistency while the home runs keep coming. Tuesday's 1-for-3 with a walk and two runs showed the upside; Wednesday shows the managerial caution.
If he is back Thursday against Skubal as expected, the sample grows another night. Until then, the headline is simple: after going deep in Los Angeles, Joshua Bez is sitting against Yoshinobu Yamamoto.