LOS ANGELES — When Cardinals catching prospect Leo Bernal was removed from Sunday’s Triple-A Memphis Redbirds game in Charlotte, he was playing in front of 4,252 fans.
When he steps onto the diamond in Tuesday’s series opener against the Dodgers, the 22-year-old Panama City native will be making his Major League debut in front of tens of thousands at Dodger Stadium.
Bernal, ranked as the Cardinals’ No. 7 prospect by MLB Pipeline, was pulled from Memphis’ game as he was due to bat in the second inning and received the news that the Cardinals were calling him up.
“For the first 30 seconds I couldn’t process it,” Bernal said in Spanish, with Joseph Quezada, the club’s assistant director of international operations, interpreting. “It took me a while to really register, and then after about 30 seconds I went into the clubhouse and just cried. The emotions kind of took its course, and really sunk in.”
Bernal has received high marks in the Minor Leagues for his work behind the plate, both receiving and in controlling the running game. The 2026 season has been a breakout campaign for the switch-hitter at the plate, though, with career bests in home runs (16), RBIs (77) and OPS (.831) across 101 games with Memphis.
“You get excited for everybody to make their debut, but this is one I’ve been excited to see,” said manager Oli Marmol.
St. Louis is also bringing outfielder Victor Scott II back to the big leagues, where he will primarily serve as a pinch-runner and late-inning defensive replacement.
Right-handed pitcher Hancel Rincon was also recalled for his potential Major League debut and will join the bullpen. Catcher Jimmy Crooks was optioned to Triple-A Memphis in a corresponding move.
Marmol said Bernal will get plenty of playing time, primarily at catcher, as well as first base and designated hitter.
“My goal is to get him in there quite a bit,” Marmol said. “We want him to get a real taste of it, going into his offseason, of understanding the pressures and preparation and communication and what this is all about, so that there’s not a guessing as to how to prepare, like he knows exactly what he’s able to perform.
“The only way to do that is to play him a decent amount. This has less to do with evaluating him over the next month. I think what we’re getting at is what he gets out of this over the next month and takes into the offseason.”
Marmol said the club’s approach to Bernal will resemble how it handled Masyn Winn’s callup in August 2023.
“Yes, you evaluate the process and the preparation. You spot areas where, OK, we can tighten that up prior to a game,” Marmol said. “But from an 0-for-4 [versus] 2-for-4 standpoint, that’ll take care of itself.”
Marmol said Bernal was tasked this season with improving his game preparation, including communication and strategy with pitchers and pitching coaches and making in-game adjustments.
“Guys love him because of [his assertiveness]. His personality, he’s very confident in how he prepares and what he brings to the table,” Marmol said. “And it shows in his style of play. But yeah, there’s always hesitancy in a different language, being able to do that to the same degree that you would do it in your home country. I think we’re seeing more of that, though, which is great.”
Bernal said his biggest improvement since Spring Training was being more consistent, both in his preparation as a catcher and as a hitter.
“Throughout my career I could flash different skills here and there, in bursts,” said Bernal. “But to be a complete player consistently every day is something that I think I really improved on from Spring Training this season to where I am now.
“ … Consistency, ultimately, to the offensive game is just as important, because it led to me growing in confidence in my ability to just let my skills and tools play.”
As he takes the field for his debut in a slightly different venue than he left on Sunday, Bernal said he’s going to focus on just playing the same game he’s known since he was a kid in Panama.
“It obviously would be a bit weird for me to say it’s not going to feel different, it is going to feel different,” he said. “But I’ve played baseball my entire life, and at the end of the day I’m just going to try to keep it simple. It’s the same game I’ve been playing my entire life.”