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ATLANTA — On the same day the Cardinals welcomed back their starting shortstop, the temporary but unexpected absence of another starting fielder guided their hand when it came to the necessary roster moves.

Late-game defense became a luxury, depth a necessity.

Masyn Winn returned from the injured list Tuesday to start at shortstop after 11 days to recover from a recurrence of lower back pain. Early in the day, Brendan Donovan felt a rib slip out of place and needed to have the subluxation addressed, causing soreness and stiffness for the remainder of the day. He was scratched from the lineup as a result.

The Cardinals do not expect Donovan’s torso pain to put him on the injured list, but in case he needs a day or two to improve, they did not want to be short on infielders.

That prompted the Cardinals to keep rookie Thomas Saggese and option center fielder Michael Siani to Class AAA Memphis, opening the spot for Winn. Siani had served as a late-game defensive substitution and pinch runner. Donovan’s available is day to day, though the team expects him back by the weekend at the latest.

“We needed protection,� manager Oliver Marmol said.

Finding playing time for Saggese is not a certainty despite the right-handed hitter's solid turn as Winn’s fill-in for a week or so. Saggese ripped a couple of doubles Saturday at the Mets and hit .400 (14 for 36) in his first dozen games. The Cardinals and Winn expect him to play every day at shortstop, lessening the need for a backup shortstop. Though, they may ease into that workload by monitoring how Winn looks on and off the field in the coming days.

Winn, 23, was not slowed for long by back pain that forced him out of a game on April 11. But a second consecutive season that begins with lower back spasms has the player and the team adjusting his off-field regimen to be proactive about the possibility of injury. Winn said his new schedule will include more time in the weight room, where he’ll be focusing on strengthening the areas around the lower back to alleviate the strain on it.

He said he will continue to have daily work with the trainers.

“Being out of the cold is going to help,� Winn added.

The goal for Winn is to increase durability with targeted improvement of strength and maintained flexibility.

“I should not have to have scheduled off-days or anything like that,� Winn said. “(It’s) more work, more attention to keeping the body right.�

During his first career stint on the IL, Winn got back in the batting cage soon enough that he was able to focus on what was missing at the plate. Winn struggled all spring, and he began the season 10 for 45 (.222) with 16 strikeouts. He had one extra-base hit before his back injury. Winn dismissed the notion that the injury contributed to the struggles, saying that they stretch back to before any tightness gripped his lower back. If anything, he said, the injury contributed to bad habits that were already there, bad habits he identified during work this past week with coaches and phone conversations with hitting coach Brandon Allen.

At Memphis this past weekend on a rehab assignment, Winn homered in his first two at-bats Saturday. He went 0 for 3 with two walks in his final Class AAA game Sunday.

“I think not realizing I was doing those bad habits,� Winn said. “Now looking at them, I can see what I was doing wrong. Hopefully with the back being healthy, that puts me in a better place. I don’t think it created the bad habits.�

Gorman’s going to get ‘a run’

Related to the machinations elsewhere in the middle infield but set apart from them for playing time, Nolan Gorman is set to get a long stretch of playing time, Marmol said.

“I would like to see what Gorman looks like for a long stretch,� he explained.

After a week or so of searching for his swing as he returned from an injury, Gorman doubled and singled in Monday’s series opener at Atlanta. He also drilled the ball three times and had an infield single in Sunday's loss to the Mets. What stood out to Marmol more than the results of those swings was what those swings had that Gorman lacked in the week or so before.

Contact.

The Cardinals’ slugging infielder made strides during spring training to increase his contact rate and utilize more of the field. A hamstring injury disrupted his start to the season, and when he returned, he hit .105 in his first 19 at-bats and struck out eight times. Three of those strikeouts came Saturday before the turnaround in recent games.

“That’s the thing: He makes enough contact and it leads to high production,� Marmol said. “It’s getting to the point where he makes enough contact it usually leads to doubles and homers. He’s working really hard on making more contact.�

And the manager wants to give him the playing time to work more.

That means setting aside starts for Gorman at designated hitter when Donovan returns to second or starting Gorman at second while Donovan recovers.

Scott’s prediction brings 'chills'

When he was back home in Atlanta from college and taking in a big league game with his girlfriend Alivia Thompson, Victor Scott II stopped on the concourse and pointed out to center field.

Scott, 20 at the time, told Thompson: “I’m going to play right there one day.�

On Monday, he reminded her of that moment.

That was the day he was going to play right there.

“To have that come to fruition is very touching and very special for me,� Scott said. “I got chills up my body.�

An Atlanta standout who played an all-star game as a teenager at Truist Field, Scott played his first big league game in his hometown Monday and had enough friends and family in the crowd that teammates in the Cardinals dugout said they heard them over the Braves faithful. Despite the Cardinals’ 7-6 loss, Scott had a personally memorable hometown debut with three hits, a stolen base and an RBI in the ninth inning that helped tighten the game.

The stolen base was Scott’s eighth in eight attempts this season, and he’s close to doubling the five he stole in his rookie year.

“Showcasing those abilities that helped me get up the system,� Scott said. “And to be able to show friends and family this is me on this stage is an awesome moment.�