Former St. Louis Cardinals great Yadier Molina is in St. Louis this weekend—and he will have a presence in the Cardinals dugout when they take on the Cubs on Friday night.
John Denton of MLB.com reported Friday morning that Molina, at the invitation of manager Oliver Marmol, will be in the dugout for two games during this weekend series—both Friday and Saturday night—as the Cardinals renew their rivalry with the North Siders.
It’s a fascinating dynamic as Marmol aims to keep the clubhouse moving in the right direction following a trade deadline sell-off that deleted a trio of critical relievers from the bullpen in the blink of an eye.
According to a quote he shared with Denton, Marmol is acutely aware of the impact that Molina’s presence can carry for his group—even in a small dose this weekend.
#STLCards manager Oli Marmol on Yadier Molina being in the team's dugout tonight and Saturday: "Even if it's just two days, I'll take it because having that level of experience in the dugout and around the players -- he just have a unique way of communicating what it looks like."
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) August 8, 2025
Though the Cardinals are still hovering around .500 in the aftermath of the sell-off, finding a consistent gear on the field night after night after the front office actively decreased the aptitude of the roster can be a challenge.
With the Cardinals coming off a series win over the reigning world champions, perhaps a weekend with Yadi helps keep the Cardinals pushing in a positive direction.