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Cardinals infielder Thomas Saggese went into Saturday batting a robust .423 in his brief stint in the majors this season. Couple that with five RBIs in 10 games as well as a .577 slugging percentage and it’s almost sure to prompt some sentiment that Saggese must stay on the roster even after Masyn Winn returns from the injured list.

Well, pump the brakes. The right move, even if unpopular, is to keep getting Saggese regular playing time. If that’s not likely to happen with the Cardinals’ current roster configuration, then he and the Cardinals are better suited with him back in the minor leagues.

After all, the reason Saggese wasn’t on the roster to begin the season as a bench player was so that he’d get that regular playing time.

The Cardinals made a calculated decision to put him in a position to continue his development and prepare him for potential everyday role in the future. Nobody who is thinking logically sees that happening by forcing Saggese to languish on the bench.

That’s not overlooking what Saggese has done at the plate. In fact, it’s an acknowledgement of what he’s done with the bat, and it’s a realistic view of the opportunities that are and aren’t available.

Even if the Cardinals felt a pull to keep Saggese on the big-league roster as a utility infielder and a right-handed bat off the bench, then you’re talking about significantly reducing his chances at the plate. You’re probably getting close to cutting them in half.

In two weeks since Saggese was recalled to the majors, he had 27 plate appearances in 10 games. He started games at shortstop (three), second base (three) and third base (one).

Luken Baker, the right-handed bat off the bench and sometimes designated hitter, has been with the club since Opening Day. He entered Saturday having had 31 plate appearances through the team’s first 20 games.

The current temporary role the Cardinals carved out for Saggese with the help of injuries is not equivalent to the bench bat role Baker currently fills.

If the Cardinals kept Saggese on the roster only to reduce his opportunities to hone his swing and his approach, we’d all be looking at Oli Marmol with that same side eye glare we broke out last year when Jordan Walker came up for an ill-fated short stint as a platoon player.

The fact that Saggese had at least a temporary runway with regular playing time available played a big part in the Cardinals decision to call him up when they placed Nolan Gorman on the IL.

“That was a big factor,� Marmol said at the end of the last homestand. “If he’s not (getting regular playing time), then you shy away from doing it because he’s a guy that needs to continue to learn the game and grow and get at-bats and play defense.

“But knowing that he was going to get in when you plan out the week, and beyond that you can see several at-bats for him, you’re able to do it.�

Gorman has already returned from the IL. Remember that when Winn returns, that also means hot-hitting Brendan Donovan steps back into everyday at-bats at second base with Gorman also vying for playing time at second base or third base behind Donovan and Nolan Arenado.

Saggese, a hyper-aggressive hitter, collected hits in each of his first six games in the majors this season. He logged hits in each of his first seven starts. He began Saturday with a higher batting average (.423) than on-base percentage (.407) after having not drawn a walk in his first 27 plate appearances.

His aggressive nature at the plate isn’t something that will likely go away, but he must continue to refine his approach. He swung 56% of the time in the minors during the 2023 season, according to Baseball America.

In his first full season at Triple-A, he slashed .253/.313/.438. When he came to the majors last season, he swung 54% of the time, including 41.2% on pitches outside the strike zone.

Saggese’s ability to force pitchers to come into the strike zone will be key to his continued success in the majors. He’ll require regular at-bats to improve his control of the zone. Not to mention, he’ll benefit from seeing things he’s working on in the batting cages translate into games.

“It could definitely be tough at times to not get regular at-bats,� Saggese said. “But the biggest thing for me is making sure I’m doing my stuff every day, preparing myself. If I’m not going to get in the game, I still want to get in the cage and work on the things I need to work on and do what I want to do and get my body into a good position.�

Saggese certainly has the demeanor of a guy suited to go with the flow. He’d take the role off the bench and make the most of it.

That’s more of a reason the Cardinals should be intentional about what they ask him to do at this early stage of his career. The 23-year-old has made strides, and he deserves the chance to build on those strides.

If that means playing every day at Triple-A and getting himself ready to take on a bigger role in the majors down the line, that’s what Cardinals should do.

This season isn’t about chasing marginal upgrades on the bench, especially if it stunts the development of a prospect that could be an everyday player.

Gaudy early-season statistics shouldn’t change that.