Yadier Molina Slated to Return to the Cardinals Bench
For one special weekend, St. Louis Cardinals icon Yadier Molina will return to the dugout. This time, with a different role to “guest” coach the Cardinals.
The longtime catcher, who spent all 19 of his MLB seasons in St. Louis, will serve as a guest coach for Friday and Saturday’s games against the rival Chicago Cubs, according to Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol via The Athletic‘s Katie Woo. It’s a short stint, but a significant one for a club trying to recapture its footing in the playoff race.
Molina—who retired after the 2022 season—has stayed active in baseball since stepping away from MLB. Most notably, he’s managed the Puerto Rican National Team in the World Baseball Classic and served on its coaching staff in recent international play. He has even been linked to a movie project by Lin-Manuel Miranda. His passion for the game clearly hasn’t faded, and this latest appearance in the Cardinals’ dugout shows his interest in contributing to the organization in a new way.
Could Guest Coach the Cardinals turn into Bench Coach and eventually Manager?
“He reached out to [John Mozeliak] and me, asking what we thought about him being in uniform,” Marmol said. “My response was an easy one: Absolutely.”
The Cardinals, currently 58–58 and 5.5 games out of the final NL Wild Card spot, could use the spark. Molina’s presence alone brings instant leadership and gravitas. Over two decades with the franchise, he notched 10 All-Star selections, nine Gold Gloves, two World Series titles, and became a symbol of the club’s identity.
“Anytime you get the chance to have someone like Yadi around your players, you take it,” Marmol added. “The experience, the leadership, the presence he brings—it impacts everyone.”
Even if it’s only a weekend, Molina’s return could offer more than nostalgia—it could help refocus a team searching for a path forward in a tight playoff race.
