| News |
|---|
|
Riley O'Brien Riley O'Brien Secures 23rd save
Sat, Jul 11, 2026, 2:23 AM
O'Brien retired all three batters he faced with two strikeouts to earn the save in Friday's 2-1 win against Atlanta.
Analysis: O'Brien needed just 12 pitches to retire the side in order and convert his 10th consecutive save opportunity. That brings the right-hander up to 23 saves on the season, moving him back into a three-way tie with Mason Miller and Jhoan Duran for the National League lead. Despite having no blown saves since mid-May, O'Brien surrendered six runs with a 7:7 K:BB across 10 appearances in June. However, he finished the month with three straight scoreless outings and has followed up with three more clean appearances to begin July. |
|
Kyle Leahy Kyle Leahy Rain leads to early exit
Sat, Jul 11, 2026, 2:14 AM
Leahy didn't factor into the decision Friday against Atlanta after allowing one hit over three scoreless innings. He struck out two and did not issue a walk.
Analysis: Leahy was hardly dominant as he tallied just one swinging strike on 44 pitches, but he kept Atlanta off the board by inducing five groundouts before a long rain delay ended his evening. The 30-year-old saw his two-start win streak come to an end Friday thanks to the rain, but he continued his strong run of form with just one run allowed in his past four starts. Leahy will head into the All-Star break with a 3.73 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 75:33 K:BB through 89.1 innings, which is now the largest workload of his big-league career after operating as a reliever the past few years. |
|
Nathan Church Nathan Church Not starting versus Sale
Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 3:24 PM
Church is absent from the lineup for Friday's tilt versus Atlanta.
Analysis: With lefty Chris Sale toeing the slab, the left-handed-hitting Church will begin the festivities on the bench. Jose Fermin will patrol center field and bat seventh for the Cardinals. |
|
Lars Nootbaar Lars Nootbaar Taking seat versus Sale
Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 3:23 PM
Nootbaar is not in the lineup for Friday's game against Atlanta.
Analysis: Lefty ace Chris Sale is on the bump for Atlanta, so the Cardinals are loading up their lineup with righty bats. The right-handed-hitting Nelson Velazquez will cover left field while the lefty-swinging Noobaar sits. |
|
JJ Wetherholt JJ Wetherholt Signs long-term contract extension
Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 2:15 PM
The Cardinals are in agreement with Wetherholt on a long-term contract extension, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the deal is worth eight years and $112.5 million and could max out at $132 million if all escalators are reached. Wetherholt is the likely National League Rookie of the Year front-runner, sporting a .267/.362/.411 batting line with 13 home runs, nine stolen bases and a 38:61 BB:K over 87 contests. The 23-year-old is also leading all second basemen in outs above average at plus-16. |
|
Beginning rehab assignment
Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 11:29 AM
Henderson (elbow) has been cleared to begin a rehab assignment in the rookie-level Florida Complex League.
Analysis: Henderson has been sidelined all season after coming into spring training with a flexor strain. He's progressed enough in his rehab to test things out in games and should eventually join the rotation at Triple-A Memphis once he's deemed ready. Henderson has excelled in his two seasons in the minors, most recently holding a 2.59 ERA and 134:51 K:BB over 132 innings covering 25 starts with Double-A Springfield in 2025. |
|
Surging at Triple-A
Fri, Jul 10, 2026, 10:23 AM
Mathews continued a terrific stretch at Triple-A Memphis with seven strikeouts over seven shutout innings in Thursday's start versus Gwinnett.
Analysis: Mathews had an up-and-down first two months of the season but has been on a roll since the start of June, posting a 1.83 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 45:15 K:BB over 39.1 frames covering seven starts. His 10.3 percent walk rate during that span remains a tad high, but it's greatly improved from the 18.2 percent mark he had in his first 10 outings. Mathews is not on the Cardinals' 40-man roster, but he looks ready for a chance at the big-league level sooner rather than later. |
|
Jimmy Crooks Jimmy Crooks Sitting against righty
Thu, Jul 9, 2026, 2:14 PM
Crooks is not in the lineup for Thursday's contest versus the Brewers.
Analysis: Crooks has now been in the lineup just once over the Cardinals' last eight games. Part of that has been the schedule, as they've faced five lefties over that span and the lefty-swinging Crooks doesn't play against southpaws. Additionally, Ivan Herrera typically catches for Michael McGreevy and Andre Pallante, who is starting Thursday. The situation makes for a frustrating playing-time crunch for Crooks. |
|
Jose Fermin Jose Fermin Settling in to regular role
Thu, Jul 9, 2026, 2:06 PM
Fermin will start at third base and bat eighth in Thursday's game against the Brewers.
Analysis: It's the eighth consecutive start for Fermin, who is 8-for-26 with one home run and three doubles over that stretch. The start is also Fermin's fourth straight at third base versus a right-hander, as he seems to have inched past Blaze Jordan as the Cardinals' preferred option at the hot corner. |
|
Blaze Jordan Blaze Jordan Losing hold of starting job
Thu, Jul 9, 2026, 2:02 PM
Jordan is absent from the lineup for Thursday's game versus the Brewers.
Analysis: Jordan's playing time has slipped lately, as this is the third straight game versus a righty that he's been out of the lineup and the fourth time across the last seven tilts that he hasn't started. The rookie infielder is just 4-for-28 at the plate over his last 30 plate appearances. Jose Fermin will cover third base for the Cardinals in Thursday's series finale. |
|
Ryne Stanek Ryne Stanek Optimism about avoiding IL
Thu, Jul 9, 2026, 11:14 AM
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Wednesday he hopes to avoid using Stanek (ankle) "for maybe two or three days," Amber Winkler of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Analysis: Stanek suffered a right ankle injury on a play at first base in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Brewers. While the reliever appears unlikely to be available until at least Friday, the Cardinals are optimistic he will avoid a trip to the injured list. After posting an 8.31 ERA in April, Stanek boasts a 2.91 ERA and 21:8 K:BB over 21.2 frames since May 1. |
|
Jose Fermin Jose Fermin Homer in win
Wed, Jul 8, 2026, 10:32 PM
Fermin went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Wednesday's 5-1 win versus the Brewers.
Analysis: Fermin smashed a homer off of Kyle Harrison in the fourth the give St. Louis the 3-0 lead. After a strong June where he hit .321 with six RBIs and three stolen bases, the super-utility man has worked his way to the top of the depth chart, as he has started the last seven games for the Cardinals. |
|
Alec Burleson Alec Burleson Homer and double in win
Wed, Jul 8, 2026, 10:21 PM
Burleson went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and an additional RBI with a double in Wednesday's 5-1 victory against the Brewers.
Analysis: Burleson crushed a homer in the sixth inning way over the wall in right-field to extend the lead to five. Although he has struggled against left-handed pitching all season (.497 OPS), Burleson did most of his damage today against them, including the home run off Brewers reliever Jared Koenig. The 27-year-old now has a .277/.339/.474 slash line with 15 blasts and 66 RBI. |
|
Michael McGreevy Michael McGreevy Finally earns win
Wed, Jul 8, 2026, 10:05 PM
McGreevy (4-7) got the win Wednesday against Milwaukee, allowing one run on five hits and one walk, while striking out six.
Analysis: McGreevy notched an elusive win after going nine straight starts without one by allowing weak contact and striking out his most batters in a game since May (also six in that game). Overall, the right-hander has put up effective stats all season for the Cardinals, posting a 3.01 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and a 66:23 K:BB across 101.2 innings. The 26-year-old is not slated to start again until after the All-Star break. |
|
Nathan Church Nathan Church Idle against lefty
Wed, Jul 8, 2026, 4:58 PM
Church is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Brewers.
Analysis: With Milwaukee sending a tough lefty in Kyle Harrison to the bump, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol will elect to give the lefty-swinging Church a breather. Lars Nootbaar will cover center field in place of Church, who went 7-for-43 (.163 average) with three home runs, eight RBI and five runs while starting in each of the past 12 games. |
|
JJ Wetherholt JJ Wetherholt Taking seat Wednesday
Wed, Jul 8, 2026, 3:38 PM
Wetherholt is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Brewers.
Analysis: Wetherholt had started in every game since June 14 and played 17 innings between both ends of Tuesday's doubleheader, so the standout rookie is likely just receiving a breather Wednesday. Jose Fermin will check in at the keystone in place of Wetherholt, who is slashing .281/.361/.406 with one home run, seven runs and two RBI through his first eight games of July. |
|
Jared Shuster Jared Shuster DFA'd after one-day stint
Wed, Jul 8, 2026, 3:10 PM
The Cardinals designated Shuster for assignment Wednesday.
Analysis: Shuster's latest stint in the majors lasted one day, and he was torched for seven runs over 1.1 frames in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Brewers. The lefty has accepted two previous outright assignments by the Cardinals, so he could stick around in the organization again if he clears waivers. |
|
Added to St. Louis bullpen
Wed, Jul 8, 2026, 3:07 PM
The Cardinals selected Gastelum's contract from Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday.
Analysis: Gastelum netted his first major-league promotion after logging a 2.27 ERA and 49:17 K:BB over 43.2 innings with Memphis. The righty was unscored upon in his last 18 appearances, authoring a 30:5 K:BB across 22.1 frames during that span. |
|
Hunter Dobbins Hunter Dobbins Returned to Triple-A
Wed, Jul 8, 2026, 11:49 AM
The Cardinals optioned Dobbins to Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday.
Analysis: As anticipated, Dobbins will move back to the minors after he was called up Tuesday to serve as the 27th man in the Cardinals' doubleheader with the Brewers. He started the second game of the twin bill, dropping to 1-1 over his five appearances on the season with St. Louis after he struck out four batters and allowed three earned runs on four hits and three walks across five innings in the Cardinals' 10-2 loss. |
|
Justin Bruihl Justin Bruihl Back in action Tuesday
Wed, Jul 8, 2026, 9:44 AM
Bruihl (ankle) logged two scoreless innings in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Brewers.
Analysis: Bruihl had to be lifted from an outing Monday with a right ankle sprain, but he bounced back quickly and was available for the Cardinals' next game. Though he got off to a slow start this season, the lefty reliever has settled in nicely with a 1.31 ERA and 16:4 K:BB over 20.2 innings covering his last 15 appearances. |
Connect With Us:
