Cruz will make his seventh straight start at catcher Sunday against the Brewers.

EDGE Analysis

Cruz is penciled into regular at-bats at catcher until further notice with Yadier Molina recovering from a slight ligament tear in his left thumb. It's expected that Molina will be back at some point during the postseason, leaving Cruz as a worthy speculative pickup for those in two-catcher or NL-only formats looking for added catching help.

Cruz went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a 5-3 win over Arizona on Thursday.

EDGE Analysis

Cruz got the rare start with Yadier Molina taking a rest and responded nicely. This is his first home run of the season and he has very little upside as he's still batting below the Mendoza Line.

Cruz will return to the Cardinals 25-man roster for Monday's home opener, MLB.com reports. Cruz missed the previous three games due to the birth of his child and will return as Yadier Molina's primary back-up. Ed Easley will be optioned back to Triple-A Memphis.

Cruz will miss this weekends series with the Reds so he can be present for the birth of his child, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Ed Easley, who's on the 40-man roster, will be called up to serve as Molina's backup for the three games against the Reds.

Cruz will start 2015 as the Cardinals primary backup to Yadier Molina, MLB.com reports. Cruz has served as Molina's backup for several years now and looks to continue the role this year. He offers no fantasy value as the Cardinals do not view him as a starter, this was evident last year during Molina's absence when the Cardinals moved to add A.J. Pierzynski just a couple weeks after Molina's injury.

Cruz agreed to a one-year deal with the Cardinals on Thursday, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports. The deal avoids arbitration and brings Cruz back to St. Louis, where he appeared in 50 games last season as the primary backup to Yadier Molina. The 28-year-old hit just .200/.270/.259 with 17 RBI and 28 strikeouts in 135 at-bats.

Cruz went 1-for-3 with a three-run homer Saturday as the Cardinals topped the Reds, 8-4. In his 100-game career, Cruz has only had three home runs, and the first two were on the road. Cruz hit his first home run of the season Saturday, and teammates Kolten Wong and Randal Grichuk also got in on the home run action. The Cardinals won for the seventh time in their past eight games to cut their magic number to one for clinching a playoff spot.

Cruz was recalled from Double-A Springfield on Tuesday Cruz served as the starting catcher for a good portion of the season while Yadier Molina was on the disabled list, but lost the spot when the Cardinals signed A.J. Pierzysnki and was optioned when Molina returned. He will serve as the Cardinals third catcher in September, but will likely see limited action behind the plate. He could take some cuts as a pinch hitter, however.

Cruz was optioned to Double-A Springfield on Friday. Cruz lost some playing time following the signing of A.J. Pierzynski, and now lost his spot on the roster with the return of Yadier Molina. He may not be off the roster long, however, as the rosters expand in a few days when the calendar turns to September.

Tony Cruz had a rough night at the plate in Sunday's loss to the Dodgers, going 0-for-3 with a strikeout. The veteran backstop is in the midst of a disappointing season offensively, slashing .222/.309/.278 with no homers and 11 RBI. While he's serving as the team's primary catcher with Yadier Molina sidelined, his fantasy value is resigned to NL-only formats.