Carlson's chances of receiving a promotion to the big-league roster have presumably increased with the rash of COVID-related absences on the Cardinals at the moment, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

EDGE Analysis

Goold isn't reporting on any specific intelligence that indicates a promotion is imminent, but he connects the dots based on the fact the mandatory seven-day period from the start of the season that Carlson needed to remain off the big-league roster in order for the team to retain an extra year of control has passed. Granted, none of the starting outfield trio of Tyler O'Neill, Harrison Bader and Dexter Fowler were infected in the team's rash of COVID illness, and Carlson's fellow prospect Lane Thomas, who's capable of filling all three outfield spots, remains healthy as well. Nevertheless, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat also floats the possibility of a Carlson promotion, and given the team's struggles on offense over its first five games even when it had a healthy complement of starters, it's possible the offensively proficient 21-year-old gets the nod.