ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ

Jose Barrero had gone nearly two years without hitting a home run in the major leagues when he stepped up to the plate in the third inning Monday at Busch Stadium.

In the Cardinals’ starting lineup at shortstop while Masyn Winn nursed a left ankle injury, Barrero’s wait for his next big league home run ended on the seventh pitch he saw from Pirates starter Carmen Mlodzinski.

After fouling off a 3-2 slider, Barrero yanked Mlodzinski’s 95.9 mph fastball over the left field wall to lead off the inning. The home run gave the Cardinals their first run in a 6-3 win against Pittsburgh to open a three-game series. It was one of three RBIs produced by Barrero on a night he displayed some of the tools that make him a versatile option off the Cardinals bench.

“Unbelievable. My first home run here, it feels amazing,� said Barrero, who had not homered in a major league game since May 30, 2023, when he was with the Reds.

Barrero, 27, drove in two runs in the sixth inning on an automatic double with the bases loaded. The two RBIs aided the Cardinals (17-19) to a four-run frame that was initially sparked by a two-run home run from Willson Contreras that gave the Cardinals a 4-3 lead.

While at shortstop, Barrero made a slick fielding play in the second inning on a ground ball Jared Triolo hit up the middle against starter Miles Mikolas. Barrero ranged to his left, made a sliding grab, popped up to his feet, turned and threw to Contreras at first base for the inning-ending out.

“It’s really good. I think every player that gets called up to this team needs to be ready to step into anybody’s spot. He (Barrero) did tonight,� Contreras said. “I think he’s doing really well. We like him here. He’s a great guy. Great energy. Seeing him make an adjustment from the spring training to now, it’s really good.�

The start for Barrero was his second at shortstop since he was promoted to the majors on April 28. The 27-year-old has also received innings at second base and in center field since his arrival.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol saw glimpses in spring training of what Barrero could offer the big league club.

Barrero appeared in 24 Grapefruit League games after beginning camp as a non-roster invitee who inked a minor league contract with the Cardinals last winter. A former top prospect for the Reds, Barrero batted .227 with a .724 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) while receiving playing time at shortstop and all three outfield spots.

He made a bid to break camp with an opening day roster spot as a utility bench player and as Winn’s immediate backup. However, he missed the cut and began the year with Class AAA Memphis.

The 27-year-old stuck mostly at shortstop for Memphis. Having batted .186 in parts of four seasons with the Reds, Barrero hit .299 with a .396 on-base percentage and a .517 slugging percentage in Class AAA. He clubbed four home runs and five doubles in 87 at-bats.

“He’s tooled out,� Marmol said of Barrero. “He does a lot of things extremely well. He can make plays defensively. He can play all over the field. Obviously, the offense is what’s held him back a little bit, but we’re going to attack that as hard as possible and see where we end up.�

His return to the majors a week before Monday’s start marked his first time on a big league roster since 2023.

“It’s been hard, but I’ve got a good mentality and I prepare myself 100%, and I’m here. I’m back. Thank God for this opportunity,� said Barrero, who batted .188 across 49 games during an injury-hampered 2024 spent with the Rangers’ Class AAA affiliate.

During his starting opportunity on Monday in place of Winn, who is eyeing a return on Tuesday, Barrero’s two hits had exit velocities faster than 100 mph. His home run reached an exit velocity of 100.1 mph and traveled 385 feet, per Statcast.

“Oh, that was amazing,� Contreras said of Barrero’s homer. “We were talking about loading ... last night, and he did tonight. That’s the damage that he can do when he loads earlier.�

The homer was one of two the Cardinals received in the inning. The other came from Alec Burleson, who belted a sweeper from Mlodzinski 435 feet to right-center field.

With a contact-oriented approach as he looked to continue a string of Cardinals hits that began with Contreras’ homer and continued with consecutive singles from Nolan Gorman, Pedro Pages and Victor Scott II, Barrero pulled the first pitch he saw from Chase Shugart down the left field line with a 101.8 mph exit velocity. The line drive bounced on the warning track and hopped over the outfield wall in the left field corner.

The timely hit drew some visible emotion from Barrero as he stood on first base and shouted toward the Cardinals dugout amid his productive night.

“He’s an emotional player,� Marmol said of Barrero. “He’s always in a good mood, but seeing him contribute and add to what we’re doing offensively ... you saw some excitement out of him. His energy is just contagious. I love having him around, just the way he cares.�