ST. LOUIS — For the first time since 2016, the "secret weapon" will be back on the field in the Major Leagues for the Cardinals.
On Thursday, Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak announced long time coach Jose Oquendo would be added to the Major League coaching staff starting with the series in Chicago. Mozeliak said Oquendo would likely return to his role as third base coach, a position he manned for 16 years before moving to another position in the organization in 2016.
Oquendo has been instructing minor league talent for the team the past few years, and was most recently running the team's satellite camp in Springfield for the 2020 season.
Nicknamed "The Secret Weapon", Oquendo played 12 seasons for the Carrdinals as a super-utility man in the '80s and '90s.
The Cardinals have had to shuffle their roster and coaching staff over the past two weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On Friday, coach and Cardinals Hall of Famer Willie McGee opted out for the remainder of the 2020 season for precautionary reasons.
The Cardinals drove up to Chicago on Friday for their weekend series with the White Sox, and are expected to play a doubleheader on Saturday.
The team has not played a game in more than two weeks, and have only played five games of their scheduled 60. At the last update, 10 players and 8 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 in the organization.