"Is there life after Ryan Ludwick for the Cardinals?

Perhaps, if Allen Craig can take the same step Jon Jay is taking this season.

As we've noted before, Craig, 26, is not widely regarded as a blue-chip prospect. He is one of many college stars the Cards drafted in recent years, hoping to develop badly needed depth ASAP.

He and Jay - another low-ceiling college product, in the eyes of many - are manning right field after Ludwick's departure.

"When that happened, it opened up a spot for me to be here," Craig said. "It's my job to contribute, driving in runs when we need them."

Jay is batting .366, but has just one hit in 12 at-bats since Ludwick left. Jay figures to get most of the starts against righthanded starting pitchers.

Craig will platoon with Jay and fill in elsewhere (third base, left field, first base), playing at least semi-regularly as long as he hits -- and he has hit at every level he has played at.

At the University of California, he hit .285, .285, .304 and .344 in four seasons. He kept rolling after turning pro, hitting .312 at Class A Palm Beach during his first full season in the minors.

He hit .304 during his one full season at Class AA Springfield. He batted .322 during his last two years in Memphis. He impressed the Cards during spring training in 2009 and again in '10 (hitting .300 with a .567 slugging percentage.)

Until now, however, he's never had a real chance to make an impact in the major leagues. Wednesday saw him in the No. 5 slot in the batting order, "hitting behind arguably the best righthanded hitters in the game" as he put it."