Just 34 games into Willson Contreras' tenure with the St. Louis Cardinals, the team has removed him from the regular catching rotation and will use him primarily at designated hitter and in the outfield.

Contreras, who joined the Cardinals on a five-year, $87.5 million contract as a free agent in December, began his new regular stint at designated hitter with Saturday's game against the Detroit Tigers, a 6-5 loss in 10 innings.