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| Ryan Ludwick has been moved to the 2-hole for Saturday's Game 3 match-up against the Dodgers. Manager Tony La Russa decided that a shake-up was in order after the team fell down 2-0 in the series. |
Our View: Luddy is 3-for-10 hitting out of the two spot this season, so he hasn't done it much. Hitting in front of Albert Pujols is always the best spot in the lineup, so we will have to see how it works for the Birds.
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| Ryan Ludwick went 1-for-4 with two RBI on Saturday, but the Cardinals would fall just short, losing a sloppy game 6-5 to the Brewers at home. |
Our View: Ludwick is now one grand slam away from posting his second consecutive 100-RBI season. Quite a remarkable feat for a player who didn't become a regular until he was 29 years old.
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| Ryan Ludwick went 1-for-4 with a solo homer off Jose Contreras in tonight's 2-1 loss at Colorado. |
Our View: The Cardinals had eight hits in the game, and Ludwick's shot was their lone source of scoring. He snapped a 16-game drought without a homer, and has 21 for 2009. He also ended a seven-game skid without an RBI.
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| Rick Ankiel is starting in place of right fielder Ryan Ludwick for Tuesday night's game against the Astros. Ludwick is just getting routine day off tonight. |
Our View: Just another outfield rotation for the Cards and Tony La Russa, so Ludwick owners should be used to this by now. He should be back tomorrow, but he won't be helping out fantasy teams tonight.
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| Ryan Ludwick is not in the Cardinals' lineup for their Saturday afternoon game against the Braves. Rick Ankiel will patrol right field in Ludwick's place. |
Our View: Just a dy off here for Luddy, as manager Tony La Russa likes to rotate his outfielders. He should be back in the lineup tomorrow, but get him out today if you still have time.
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| Ryan Ludwick went 2-for-4 with two singles in tonight's 1-0 loss to Atlanta at Busch Stadium. |
Our View: Ludwick accounted for two of the Cardinals' six hits in the shutout loss. Ludwick is hot, as he collected two hits in each of his last three games.
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| Ryan Ludwick had an absolutely monster game on Friday as the Cardinals routed the Pirates 14-7. Ludwick went 5-for-5 with two doubles, two homers, three runs, and five RBI in the win. |
Our View: Now that's a fantasy performance. Luddy has struggled some over the last month, but he looked dialed in tonight. If he can get hot, the Cards look like a very dangerous team in the NL.
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| With the Cardinals facing Roy Oswalt on Wednesday, Ryan Ludwick is out of the Redbirds lineup, according to Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. |
Our View: The National League Player of the Month for July is hitting just .221 over the last month. Some rest could do him good.
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| Ryan Ludwick has been named July's NL player of the month, according to MLB.com. Ludwick hit .340 with five doubles, six homers, and 18 runs scored in the month of July. |
Our View: Ludwick really took off in July after a slow start to the season, and he is showing that 2008 was no fluke. The former All-Star is getting comfortable in the new-look Cardinal lineup, and he should get plenty of opportunity as the season goes on.
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| Ryan Ludwick hit yet another three run home run on Tuesday night. However, it came as the game was already out of reach, as Houston beat the Cardinals 11-6 at home. |
Our View: Ludwick has been tearing the cover off the ball his last 12 games. He has five home runs and 20 RBI in that stretch, and has leapt into the top ten in RBI in the National League. After a miserable May and June, last year's Silver Slugger winner is again a safe bet in the outfield.
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| Ryan Ludwick is back to his 2008 form. Last year's All Star and Silver Slugger went 3-for-4 with a pair of two run homers in the Cardinals' 4-2 win over the rival Cubs. |
Our View: Luddy has been an absolute beast lately and his return to form has given the Cards the bat they have been searching for to hit behind Albert Pujols. He now has 15 RBI in his last seven games to go along with his four homers and 13 hits. Now that he's raking he should be starting every day. Time to get him back in the lineup, people.
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| Ryan Ludwick went 1-for-5 with a three-run homer off reliever Todd Coffey in Thursday's 5-1 win at Milwaukee. |
Our View: Ludwick has a hit in five straight games, with two homers over the span. This is encouraging, as he only hit three homers over 85 at-bats in June.
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| Ryan Ludwick homered for the first time since June 22 on Tuesday as the Cardinals stifled Milwaukee 5-0. |
Our View: Ludwick continues to be wildly inconsistent in 2009. Every time he appears poised to break out of his season-long funk, he stops hitting again. He has been displaying intermittent power, but not nearly enough to be a must start every night for your fantasy team.
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| Ryan Ludwick drove in a run for the second straight game on Thursday, as the Cardinals beat San Francisco 5-2 to earn a split of the teams' four game series. |
Our View: Ludwick has finally been showing some signs of life recently, hitting the ball hard and occasionally picking up some RBIs, and may soon be worthy of your starting lineup again. Keep an eye on him, but you could do worse for the time being.
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| Ryan Ludwick went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer off Tim Redding in Monday's 6-4 loss at the Mets. |
Our View: Ludwick has a hit in four straight games, with two homers over the span. He has 11 homers for the season, and should remain a good source for power as long as he can stay intact.
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| Ryan Ludwick went 1-for-4 with a grand slam off Kyle Davies in Friday's 10-5 win at Kansas City. |
Our View: Ludwick ended a 10-game drought without a homer, and now has 10 for the season. His .234 batting average drags down his fantasy value a bit.
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| Ryan Ludwick had his first two-hit game since May 5 in the Cardinals 6-5 win over the Marlins on Thursday. |
Our View: He also drove in a run and scored a run. It's too early to say he's emerging from his post disabled list slump, but today was an encouraging sign nonetheless.
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| Ryan Ludwick went 0-for-4 as the Cardinals lost 5-2 to the Rockies on Monday. |
Our View: Ludwick had hit safely in three straight games. Despite the mini hitting streak, Ludwick is just 4-for-35 since returning from the disabled list on May 29. You may want to keep him on your bench until he rediscovers his stroke.
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| According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Ryan Ludwick is expected to be activated before Friday's game in San Francisco. Ludwick has been on the DL with a hamstring injury. |
Our View: This is excellent news for Cardinal fans and Ludwick owners. He has made great progress during his recovery, and it looks like he will be very close to 100 percent when he is activated tonight. The Cards desperately need a jolt to their lineup, and Ludwick is more than capable, so owners get him in tonight if possible.
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| According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Ryan Ludwick is making solid progress from his hamstring injury and he is expected to be ready to return to the lineup on the day he is eligible to come off the DL. |
Our View: Ludwick ran sprints in the outfield on Thursday and he plans to take batting practice and shag fly balls with the team today. Expect Luddy to be 100 percent when he returns to the lineup.
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| The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting that Ryan Ludwick was seen walking around without a limp on Thursday. He was placed on the DL with a hamstring injury on Wednesday. |
Our View: This is very good news for fantasy owners, as it looks like the injury is not very serious. He will still be out for two weeks, but he should be good to go when he is eligible to come off the DL.
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| Confirming previous suspicions, the Cardinals have indeed placed Ryan Ludwick on the 15-day DL with a strained right hamstring he suffered on Tuesday, according to St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz. |
Our View: The injury does not appear to be anything that will have lingering effects throughout the season, but it will clearly keep Ludwick out of action for at least the next two weeks. With Rick Ankiel on the DL as well, Chris Duncan and Colby Rasmus will continue to play every day in left and center field, while Shane Robinson should get most of the time in right. Don't expect much, if anything, from the power-lacking Robinson.
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| The St. Louis Post-Dispatch believes that Ryan Ludwick could land on the 15-day DL after straining his right hamstring during Tuesday's battle with the Pirates. |
Our View: Ludwick did not believe the injury was that serious, but the Cardinals are yet to determine the severity. The club already has outfielder Rick Ankiel on the DL.
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| Ryan Ludwick left Tuesday's game in the second inning with a hamstring injury. The severity of the injury is unknown. |
Our View: Ludwick dove for a ball hit by Nyjer Morgan and came up lame. It was a duel blow for the Cards as Luddy left the game and Morgan's hit got down and went for a two-RBI triple. We'll update Ludwick's condition as soon as we know more.
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| Ryan Ludwick was 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in Saturday's 8-3 loss to the Reds. |
Our View: Ludwick's power has carried over from last year, but the average is down a bit. He's hitting .277, which is still serviceable, but the eight homers and 26 RBI are very nice. Ludwick is a fine outfield option in all fantasy formats.
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| Ryan Ludwick was 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBI in a losing effort on Tuesday as the Cardinals fell to the Phillies 10-7. |
Our View: Ludwick now has seven homers and 23 RBI on the season, and after a recent cold patch has started warming up. Tuesday's effort raised his average to .292 and we may be seeing warning signs of another Ludwick offensive outburst.
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| Ryan Ludwick was not in Wednesday's starting lineup while recovering from the flu, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. |
Our View: His status for Thursday's game against the Nationals is yet to be determined, but Ludwick describes himself as "half as bad." He only has one hit over his last 13 at-bats.
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| Ryan Ludwick will not start for the second straight night on Wednesday, according to MLB.com. Manager Tony La Russa did say that he will start in the next four games. |
Our View: Ludwick is tied for the NL lead in RBI and home runs, but he has not been in the lineup four times in the last 15 games. The Cardinals have four starting caliber outfielders, and it appears as if Ludwick can continue to expect off days on a fairly regular basis.
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| Ryan Ludwick continued his hot hitting on Saturday, but his Cardinals fell to their bitter rivals. He was 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI, but the Cubs ended up on top with a 7-5 win on 11 innings. |
Our View: Ludwick has at least one hit in every game this season and now has a bloated .405 average with five dingers and 15 RBI. Anyone still convinced last year's season was a fluke?
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| Ryan Ludwick continued his assault on Major League pitching Friday in the Cards' loss to the Cubs. Ludwick went 3-for-5 with two homers and four RBI to extend his hitting streak to 20 games. |
Our View: Ludwick has been an absolute monster so far this year, as he has five home runs, 13 RBI, and is hitting .405. He has only played in nine of the Cardinals first 12 games, too. He is making believers out of a lot of people who said last year was a fluke. He is the real deal.
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| Ryan Ludwick extended his hitting streak to 19 games with an RBI single in Thursday's outing at Chicago, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. |
Our View: He has collected two hits in four of eight games, with two doubles and three homers over the span. He is proving his breakout campaign of 2008 was not a fluke.
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| Ryan Ludwick connected for his third home run of the season in the Cardinals' 12-7 win in Arizona on Wednesday. The blast was a two-run shot and was one of his two hits in five trips to the plate. |
Our View: Luddy has been raking this season... when he gets to play. Spot starts and spells on the bench have plagued fantasy owners this season, but last year's Silver Slugger award winner does considerable damage when he plays. He's hitting .407 with three home runs and eight RBI in seven games so far, and if he keeps hitting like this Tony LaRussa will be forced to play him.
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| The St. Louis Post Dispatch reports that Ryan Ludwick wants to be in the lineup every day, and manager Tony La Russa responded by saying "Of the four outfielders, he'll play more than the other three". Ludwick has sat three times in the first nine games. |
Our View: La Russa's platooning of outfielders has wreaked havoc on Ludwick owners, but it appears as if the outfielder will be starting on a more regular basis in the future. Ludwick had 538 at-bats last season despite being platooned early in the season, so there is nothing to worry about.
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| Ryan Ludwick extended his hitting streak to 17 games (dating back to last season) in Monday's win over Arizona, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He collected a single and a double in the game. |
Our View: He has recorded two hits in three of six games, and has nine total hits (two doubles, two homers, seven singles) over the span. The Cardinals will play the second of their three-game set against Arizona at Chase Field tonight.
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| Ryan Ludwick went 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI in Sunday's 3-0 win over the Astros. |
Our View: Ludwick hit cleanup on Sunday, and he is off to a hot start this season. Through five games played, he has two home runs, five RBI, and is hitting .389.
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| Ryan Ludwick is out of the lineup Saturday versus Astros ace Roy Oswalt, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. |
Our View: It's tough to hold Luddy out of the lineup right now, as he's hitting .400 with two homers so far, but it's probably not a bad idea by Tony La Russa to stack the lineup with left-handed hitters.
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| Ryan Ludwick homered and doubled in the Cardinals 5-3 win over the Astros on Friday night. He drove in two on the night. |
Our View: Ludwick finished strong this spring and it has carried over to the games that count. He has two home runs and four RBI in the team's first four games and is hitting a cool .400.
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| Ryan Ludwick went 2-for-5 with a home run, two RBI, and a run scored in the Cardinals' 6-4 loss to the Pirates on Monday. |
Our View: Ludwick got off to a slow start this spring, but he finished strong as he began displaying the power that won him the Silver Slugger award last season. It will be difficult for him to reproduce the 37 home runs and 113 RBI from 2008, but today's start will likely give him the confidence he will need to make another strong run.
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| Ryan Ludwick was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI on Tuesday. After a very rough start he has upped his average to .225. |
Our View: Ludwick seems to be getting locked in at the plate and his power stroke looks to be on par with how he finished the season last year. His double today was his sixth and he has driven in 18 this spring. Don't buy into all the "fluke" talk about Ludwick. When healthy he has hit, and hit well, at every level he has ever played at. He should have numbers similar to last year.
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| Ryan Ludwick went 2-for-3 with a double, RBI, and a run scored in the Cardinals' 5-4 win over the Orioles on Sunday. |
Our View: It's been a very good weekend for Ludwick after a mostly forgettable spring. He seems to be much more relaxed at the plate in his last three games. Since Friday, he has five extra base hits including two home runs. Despite hitting just .216 this spring, he has accounted for 15 RBI.
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| Ryan Ludwick hit a grand slam, doubled and drove in five during an impressive day at the plate on Saturday. |
Our View: Last year's OF Silver Slugger award winner has struggled most of the spring, but his bat is starting to come alive. He's only hitting .188, but he has driven in 14, and he has two homers and eight RBI over the last three days. His bat should be ready by Opening Day, and he's a fine addition to any starting fantasy lineup.
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| Ryan Ludwick will miss Saturday's spring training game due to general soreness, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He reportedly took 300 extra swings in a batting practice session on Friday. |
Our View: If it were a regular season game, Ludwick would be able to play. You have to love his dedication to his swing and hopefully he will be able to resemble the excellence he displayed a season ago.
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| Ryan Ludwick had a solid day for the Cards, going 2-for-5 with an RBI on Sunday against the Marlins. |
Our View: Ludwick is a shoe in to make the Cardinals after his Silver Slugger season in 2008. It's unclear if he will be set as the starting left of right fielder as manager Tony La Russa likes to shuffle his lineups around quite a bit.
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| Ryan Ludwick will not be participating in the World Baseball Classic, according to Scout.com. Ludwick did not want to serve as a backup outfielder with Team USA. |
Our View: Pulling out of the tournament will allow him to focus on the Cardinals and build upon his breakout campaign of 2008, when he crushed 37 homers. He should be drafted as a No. 3 fantasy outfielder.
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| The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Cardinals avoided arbitration with outfielder Ryan Ludwick on Monday. The two sides agreed on a one-year deal, but financial terms were not disclosed. |
Our View: Ludwick came out of nowhere last season to win a Silver Slugger award in the National League. Most believe that he will not repeat the performance, meaning his price should slide lower than his production would indicate. He is currently penciled in to hit fourth in the Cardinals' lineup behind Albert Pujols.
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| Ryan Ludwick is close to a new deal with the Cardinals that would avoid an arbitration hearing, according to MLB.com. Ludwick had requested $4.25MM and the Cardinals countered with $2.8MM.
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Our View: Ludwick may not repeat or improve upon last season's strong numbers, namely in the power department, but he should still be a solid fantasy outfielder.
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| Matthew Leach, of MLB.com, reports that outfielder Ryan Ludwick flew to spring training in Florida Sunday with the intention of not jumping a cross-country flight to attend an arbitration hearing in Phoenix on Tuesday. "That's exactly why I came down," Ludwick said. "And that's why I say I'm optimistic. To see where they were and how this whole deal went down, I think that's what leads to optimism on my side." |
Our View: Ludwick is expected to follow the lead of teammate Rick Ankiel, who reached a midway point of $2.825 million with the Cardinals last week. Ludiwck is demanding $4.25 million, while the team is countering with $2.8 million.
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| Ryan Ludwick and the St. Louis Cardinals will have an arbitration hearing on Tuesday, February 17 if the two sides cannot reach an agreement, according to StLCardinals.com. |
Our View: Ludwick is looking for a salary of $4.25 million, while the team has offered $2.8 million. That's a fairly significant gap, but there is still time for them to work out a deal.
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| Ryan Ludwick and the Cardinals remain far apart in contract figures and the two sides appear headed to arbitration, accordint to MLB.com. |
Our View: Someone's not going to be happy with the result of this case. Apparently the two sides' figures were among the furthest apart when arbitration salary figures were submitted on January 20.
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| The Tampa Tribune reports that the Rays and Cardinals are talking regarding a swap of outfielders and pitchers. |
Our View: The Cardinals are believed to be shopping one of either Ryan Ludwick or Rick Ankiel while the Rays need to move a starter to open up a spot in the rotation for David Price.
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| Ryan Ludwick could still be dealt to the Braves, according to MLB.com. |
Our View: The Cardinals are looking for help in the middle infield, so both Kelly Johnson and Yunel Escobar are options that the Cardinals would like to explore.
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| The Cardinals still have outfielder Ryan Ludwick on the trading block, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. |
Our View: Ludwick was a name bandied about when the Cardinals were thought to be in the thick of things for Matt Holliday. They have a surplus of outfielders and could use Ludwick to acquire other needs, such as in the middle infield or starting rotation.
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| Ryan Ludwick won a Silver Slugger award, according to the Associated Press. |
Our View: Ludwick had a breakout season for the Cardinals in 2008. If he's not traded, he could produce similar numbers in 2009 by hitting either in front of or behind Albert Pujols, which he benefited from in 2008.
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| The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the Cardinals are not interested in parting with Ryan Ludwick for Braves' second baseman Kelly Johnson. |
Our View: Ludwick was one of MLB's biggest surprises last season but with Colby Rasmus lurking in the minors there is a chance the Cardinals part with him or one of their other starting outfielders this offseason.
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| Ryan Ludwick was named to the NL All-Star Team by the Sporting News along with Matt Holliday and Ryan Braun, according to the Orange County Register. |
Our View: Ludwick was tremendous this season hitting .299-37-113-104 with four steals, but it is interesting that he made the list over a player like Carlos Beltran who plays better defense, runs the bases better (25 steals) and scored eight more runs while only producing one fewer RBI.
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| Ryan Ludwick crushed his 37th home run of the season in the Cardinals 11-4 win over the Reds on Sunday. He finished the afternoon 2-for-3 with three RBI. |
Our View: There might not be a bigger surprise in all of baseball than Ryan Ludwick. He finishes the year batting .299 and tied for the team lead in home runs (37) and was second to Albert Pujols with 113 RBI.
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| There might not be a bigger surprise in all of baseball than Ryan Ludwick. In the Cardinals' 8-5 win over the Reds, Ludwick was 2-for-3 and drove in his 110th run. |
Our View: Ludwick might win the NL Comeback Player of the Year Award with the numbers he has put up. His average is at .297 after Saturday night and fantasy owners who jumped on his bandwagon early in the season they were rewarded.
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| Ryan Ludwick belted his 35th homer, a three-run shot, in the Cards' 7-4 win over the D'Backs Tuesday. |
Our View: Ludwick has 106 RBI and a .294 batting average to go along with those 35 dingers. Not bad for a guy who wasn't even drafted in mixed leagues.
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| Ryan Ludwick was 2-for-2 with a home run, two RBI and three runs scored on Friday against the Cubs. |
Our View: That makes 100 runs for one of the most surprising players of 2008. He also improved to .750 lifetime against Cubs' ace Carlos Zambrano. His 2008 average creeped closer to .300 and stands at .294.
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| Ryan Ludwick hit his 33rd home run, his only hit in four trips to the plate against the Cubs, and now has 101 RBI on the year, two more than Albert Pujols. |
Our View: Amazing. From the outhouse to the penthouse as they say. If he can find some juice down the stretch perhaps he will finish with a .300-30-100 line (he is currently batting .296). Even if he doesn't get another hit, he has been a difference maker this season.
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| Ryan Ludwick came up huge in the Cardinals 5-3 victory going 3-for-4 with a home run, 2 RBI, and 2 runs scored. |
Our View: Ludwick continued his all-star season connecting on his 32nd home run of the season.
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| Cardinals outfielder Ryan Ludwick had a difficult day, failing to get a hit in five at-bats, striking out twice and leaving eight men on base, but St. Louis beat Atlanta 6-3 anyway. |
Our View: Ludwick is a free swinger and is prone to strikeouts. Nonetheless, has there been a more vital waiver wire acquisition for fantasy owners than him?
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| Ryan Ludwick went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Sunday's 7-3 loss to Cincinnati. He hit a single and a double. |
Our View: Ludwick has registered multiple hits in three of his last four games, with two homers, three doubles, and six RBI over the span.
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| Cardinals outfielder Ryan Ludwick went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI, driving in all the runs for St. Louis as they topped the Marlins 3-0. |
Our View: Ludwick's home run was his 30th, and his RBI total is now 90. His continued surge has put his name into any conversation concerning the National League MVP.
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| Ryan Ludwick went 1-for-3 with three RBI, and was responsible every Cardinals run in the team's 4-3 loss to the Florida Marlins. |
Our View: Ludwick is now hitting .395 in August, and his surprising season continues as he has placed himself squarely in the middle of MVP consideration.
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| Ryan Ludwick tied a franchise record by homering in his fifth straight game Wednesday. He also added a pair of singles and drove in two and scored two. |
Our View: Ludwick has been arguably the biggest fantasy surprise in baseball this year with a .307-29-82 line. He leads all of baseball in SLG %, and if the Cards manage to squeak into the playoffs, Ludwick would get serious MVP consideration.
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| It took 11 innings to get the job done, but the Cardinals managed to pull out the 6-4 win with a lift from the bat of outfielder Ryan Ludwick . Ludwick went just 1-for-6 on the night, but that one hit was good for two runs in the bottom of the 11th, hitting his 28th homer of the season. Ludwick leaves with two RBIs and one run scored. |
Our View: Ludwick ended July on a positive note, posting seven hits over the final four games of the month. In August he's stayed hot, going 8-for-17 with five home runs.
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| Ryan Ludwick has been named the NL Player of the Week, according to the AP. He earned the honor by hitting .538 (14-for-26) with four home runs and eight RBI during the week. |
Our View: Ludwick is hitting .306 over 104 games, with a career-high 27 homers and 78 RBI. Other nominees for the weekly award were Phillies' closer Brad Lidge, Brewers' first baseman Prince Fielder, and Rockies' outfielder Matt Holliday.
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| Ryan Ludwick had two hits on Sunday night including his 27th home run, his fourth blast in the last three games. |
Our View: Ludwick has a hit in 7-straight games after this one as he continues to provide tremendous production behind Albert Pujols in the Cards batting order.
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| Ryan Ludwick went 1-for-4 with a home run in Saturday's 2-1 loss to the Phillies. |
Our View: He hit his 26 homer of the season, with three coming over his last two games against the Phillies. He should remain a solid source of power down the stretch for fantasy owners.
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| Ryan Ludwick had a big night with two homes, both solo shots, as he went 4-for-4 for the Cardinals. |
Our View: Ludwick's night pushed his average back over .300 to .303 as he also reached the 25 home run plateau for the first time. He continues to be one of the better finds of the fantasy season.
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| Ryan Ludwick was 3-for-5 with two RBI against the Braves on Monday. With Rick Ankiel out with a strained abdomen, Ludwick is hitting cleanup. |
Our View: Ludwick has 15 strikeouts in 11 games since the break and one has to wonder if the league is figuring him out.
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| Ryan Ludwick connected for his 23rd home run of the season on Tuesday. It was estimated to be a 450-foot shot, the longest by a Cardinal in their three-year old stadium. |
Our View: Ludwick was out of the starting lineup twice out of five games since the All-Star break, but with Chris Duncan landing on the DL, he should see a long string of starts coming his way.
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| Ryan Ludwick is not in the starting lineup for Monday's game against the Brewers. Chris Duncan is starting in left field, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. |
Our View: Ludwick also took a seat on Thursday, and it's a bit disconcerting to see the All-Star out of the lineup in two of the last five games. We hope Tony La Russa is just being proactive is giving Ludwick a break during a long stretch for the Cards.
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| Ryan Ludwick is not in Thursday night's lineup for the Cardinals. Chris Duncan will start in his place. |
Our View: Ludwick returns from the All-Star break and is likely just getting a mental break before the Cards play 18 games in 18 days. Expect him back in the lineup Friday.
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| The Cardinals took a heart-breaking loss after 10 innings, falling 12-11 to the Pirates, but give outfielder Ryan Ludwick an "A" for effort. Ludwick went 3-for-5 at the dish with one walk, his third triple, and his 20th homer of the season to total four RBIs on the season and two runs scored. |
Our View: Ludwick has provided surges of power from time to time but is not consistent enough to garner top respect. However, you can see the star working to come out of the kid, and it may be a matter of time before he realizes his full potential.
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| Ryan Ludwick hit his 18th home run of the season on Tuesday. |
Our View: It was the All-Star's second in as many games and his third consecutive game with an RBI. He has not accomplished such a feat since May 19.
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| Ryan Ludwick hit his 17th home run of the season on Sunday against the Cubs. |
Our View: It was Ludwick's first home run since June 11th. During the drought, his average fell 30 points.
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| Ryan Ludwick went 2-for-4 with his 16th home run of the year for the Cardinals who improved to 13 games above .500 with the victory over the Reds. |
Our View: With Albert Pujols out, Ludwick will have to continue his hot hitting to give the team production from the middle of the order. Today was a great start.
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| St. Louis outfielder Ryan Ludwick was a power at the plate this evening as the Cardinals put the 7-2 win over Cincy on the board. Ludwick went 4-for-5 on the evening, hitting two doubles and one home run to total four RBIs and and two runs scored on the night. |
Our View: Ludwick now carries 15 homers on the season, including two in his last three games.
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| Ryan Ludwick put a charge into one on Saturday night, his 14th long ball of the year, in the Cardinals 8-4 victory over the Astros. |
Our View: Ludwick, who knocked in three runs on the day, continues to be a viable option behind Albert Pujols in the order. With #5 hitter Troy Glaus finally hitting as well, the Cardinals offense is clicking in the middle of the lineup.
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| St. Louis outfielder Ryan Ludwick was out of the Cardinals' lineup on Tuesday but is expected to start the remaining games of their current homestand, according to CBSSports.com. |
Our View: Chris Duncan has been starting in his place and has gone 2-for-7 with one home run against Houston RHP Shawn Chacon, but he was hitless in four at-bats last night, including two strikeouts. Now the Cardinals will turn back to Ludwick, hitting .333 with 13 home runs and 38 RBIs.
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| In what is becoming a daily occurrence, Ryan Ludwick went deep again for his 12th home run of the season for the Cardinals. Ludwick went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBI on the night. |
Our View: Hello, Mr. All-Star. Ludwick is on a full season pace of, hold your hats, .350-48-128 right now, numbers that look even a bit high for Mr. Pujols. Ludwick has been shockingly good so far.
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| Ryan Ludwick did it again on Sunday as he stroked his 11th home run of the season for the Cardinals on Sunday. |
Our View: With Rick Ankiel out of the lineup, Ludwick batted cleanup behind Albert Pujols. If it wasn't a certainly already, it appears that Ludwick will start no matter who is on the hill given his massive run of success, a position obviously strengthened in the short-term due to Ankiel's injury.
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| Ryan Ludwick hit his second home run of the game on Saturday afternoon and the Cardinals won in 10 innings 9-8 over the Tampa Bay Rays. |
Our View: Ludwick has 10 home runs, 25 runs, 28 RBI and is hitting .336 on the season. If there were ever a time to sell high on a player, it's Ludwick's time. His value will never be higher and this kind of production won't continue.
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| Ryan Ludwick struck out three times on Sunday but salvaged the day by hitting a solo homer off Brewers reliever David Riske in the eighth inning giving the Cardinals a two-run (4-2) lead, one they wouldn't relinquish eventually winning, 5-2. |
Our View: Ludwick, who is the biggest individual surprise for the shocking Cardinals, now has eight home runs, 24 RBI and 21 runs scored and is hitting an terrific .347 on the season.
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| Eight different players recorded hits for the St. Louis Cardinals today in a 5-3 win over the Brewers, but once again it was OF Ryan Ludwick doing the most with a limited opportunity. Ludwick failed to earn the start, but he entered the game late and made good, going 1-for-2, hitting a two-out single in the ninth to drive in two and secure the win. |
Our View: The month of May has been very good for Ludwick, going 13-for-29 with five runs scored, three home runs, and nine RBIs.
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| Ryan Ludwick blasted two solo home runs on Thursday to push his average up to .363. He is nine for his last 13. |
Our View: Ludwick continues to lose some playing time against right-handed pitching but he is hitting over .360 proving he can handle all pitchers. Look for his numbers to regress, but that doesn't mean you should turn away from him in mixed leagues where he will continue to have value.
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| St. Louis OF Ryan Ludwick earned another start this evening thanks to his hot bat, and he kept the optimism flowing despite the 4-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies. Ludwick went 2-for-4 with his fifth home run of the season, totaling two RBIs. |
Our View: The kid went 1-for-1 against the Rocks on Monday, then 4-for-4 last night. He seems to like life at a mile high hitters park.
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| The St. Louis Cardinals managed to find a one-run, 6-5 win over the Colorado Rockies this evening, and it was OF Ryan Ludwick that found his best game to lead the charge. Ludwick was a perfect 4-for-4 with a walk at the plate, hitting two doubles to post one RBI and one run scored. |
Our View: Ludwick has reached base via hits in six consecutive games, but this is his first multi-hit performance since April 17th.
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| Ryan Ludwick may not have a starting spot in the Cardinals lineup anytime soon, but that doesn't mean that he isn't a valuable member of the team's outfield mix, according to MLB.com. "No one is as hot as Ryan, but there's no one really struggling," manager Tony La Russa said when asked about why Ludwick wasn't in the lineup every day. Ludwick will start on Thursday night. |
Our View: Not many team's can boast of a fourth outfielder who is hitting .358 with an OPS of 1.207, and Ludwick will continue to play enough to be a valuable member of any NL Only outfield.
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| Ryan Ludwick is likely to start on Tuesday, according to MLB.com. The team will be facing lefty Manny Parra and the Brewers. |
Our View: Ludwick is off to a solid start as he racked up four homers and 11 RBI over 16 games.
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| Ryan Ludwick went 4-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI for the Cardinals on Thursday. |
Our View: Ludwick has been on fire of late with at least two hits in four of his last eight games helping to raise his average to .390 on the young season.
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| Ryan Ludwick continues to quietly produce. The outfielder hit fourth on Sunday and went 2-for-5 with a homer and two RBI against the Giants. Ludwick is hitting .343 with three long balls, 10 RBI, and seven runs through 10 games. |
Our View: The Cardinals have every reason to continue giving Ludwick regular at-bats. History suggests his bat will cool off soon, but NL-only owners should play him while he's hot.
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| Ryan Ludwick currently co-leads the MLB with two triples, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Ludwich noted, "I don't see myself as a triples guy. I'm more a doubles guy." He is hitting 6-for-19 overall, with three RBI and his fantasy stock should continue to rise.
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| Ryan Ludwick had three hits and three RBI from the second spot in the Cardinals order on Wednesday in his first start of the season. Ludwick is a hard nosed player who figures to find at-bats in a Tony LaRussa lineup, though it remains to be seen whether he will accrue enough to be anything more than an outfielder in deep NL Only leagues. |
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| Ryan Ludwick ended a one-for-14 stretch with two hits in Friday's spring game. The outfielder hit a home run and a single in a come-from-behind 7-4 victory. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Ludwick came to spring training with a more compact swing with the hope it help him solve his struggles against southpaws. His home run was his third this spring. |
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| Ryan Ludwick left eight men on base as he went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts against the Orioles on Wednesday. His spring average dipped to .261 as he continues to fight for a role in the Cardinals' outfield. |
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| Ryan Ludwick started for the second straight game on Monday. Manager Tony La Russa tells the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that it was a reward for homering twice on Sunday. As a result, Juan Encarnacion sat for the second straight day, but he is expected to start on Tuesday. |
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