Hornsby did not play for the rest of 1932, but the Cardinals signed him as a player on October 24 for the 1933 season. Breadon put aside his previous disputes with Hornsby and brought him back to St. Louis, knowing that Hornsby could still handle a bat. He played regularly at second base from April 25 through May 5, but he was used mostly as a pinch hitter with the Cardinals due to numerous foot and leg problems. On July 22, he had his final NL hit in a 9–5 loss to the Braves. Through July 23, Hornsby was batting .325 with two home runs and 21 RBIs. However, with the Cardinals in fifth place and long out of the pennant race, Breadon was concerned that Hornsby was no longer able to play regularly. With this in mind, the Cardinals chose to place him on waivers.