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Jose Fermin Jose Fermin Slated for playing time in LF
Tue, Mar 24, 2026, 9:32 AM
Fermin is among those in the mix for starts in left field while Lars Nootbaar (heels) is sidelined, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Analysis: Fermin is an infielder by trade but has played a bit in the outfield in the majors and at the Triple-A level. The 26-year-old will vie for playing time in left field with Nathan Church and Thomas Saggese. Church is the lone left-handed hitter of the three and also the only traditional outfielder, so he likely enters the season at the top of the pecking order. However, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol has said he does not plan to employ a strict platoon at the position. |
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Thomas Saggese Thomas Saggese In mix for starts in left field
Tue, Mar 24, 2026, 9:27 AM
Saggese is in the mix to start games in left field for the Cardinals while Lars Nootbaar (heels) is shelved, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Analysis: An infielder by trade, Saggese learned the outfield on the fly this spring and missed out on some development time while on Team Italy's roster for the World Baseball Classic. However, he showed enough aptitude defensively in the outfield and also had a .907 OPS this spring to convince the Cardinals to carry him on the Opening Day roster. Nathan Church and Jose Fermin will also see action in left field, and Fermin and Saggese are options to play several other positions, as well. Nootbaar is being evaluated for potential placement on the 60-day injured list, so the trio of competitors could have ample time to make a good impression. |
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Lars Nootbaar Lars Nootbaar Being evaluated for 60-day IL move
Tue, Mar 24, 2026, 9:19 AM
Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said Monday that Nootbaar (heels) will be evaluated this week for potential placement on the 60-day injured list, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Analysis: Bloom noted that the team's current wish is to avoid the 60-day IL with Nootbaar, as the transaction would leave him ineligible to make his season debut until late May. However, that decision will be made after the Cardinals get a better sense of how far Nootbaar is along in his rehab from offseason surgery on both heels. Per Brian Walton of TheCardinalNation.com, Nootbaar is slated to take batting practice with minor leaguers at the team's spring training complex Tuesday. St. Louis will use a combination of Nathan Church, Thomas Saggese and Jose Fermin in left field until Nootbaar is ready. |
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Nathan Church Nathan Church Will get reps in left field
Mon, Mar 23, 2026, 4:46 PM
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Monday that Church will get some run in left field while Lars Nootbaar (heels) is sidelined, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Analysis: Jose Fermin and Thomas Saggese are the others in the mix for left-field reps. Church is the only one of the three that bats left-handed and that's a natural outfielder, which could give him a leg up for playing time early on. However, Marmol noted Monday that he does not plan to employ a strict platoon. Church is known more for his glove than his bat, but he have a breakout year offensively with Triple-A Memphis in 2025, slashing .329/.386/.524 with 13 home runs and 16 stolen bases. |
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Nelson Velazquez Nelson Velazquez Reassigned to Triple-A
Mon, Mar 23, 2026, 3:50 PM
The Cardinals reassigned Velazquez to Triple-A Memphis on Monday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Analysis: A non-roster invitee this spring, Velazquez put himself in position for a major-league roster spot by hitting .357/.449/.667 with four home runs and a 7:4 BB:K during Grapefruit League play. However, the Cardinals ultimately decided to send the 27-year-old to Memphis to start the season. Velazquez could still get a look with the big club if he gets off to a hot start in the minors, though that could depend on how quickly Lars Nootbaar (heels) makes it back. |
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Kyle Leahy Kyle Leahy Makes Opening Day rotation
Mon, Mar 23, 2026, 9:30 AM
Leahy will open the season in the Cardinals' rotation, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Analysis: Leahy's regular-season debut will occur March 30 with a start at home against the Mets. The right-hander has not been used as a starting pitcher regularly since 2022, but he often worked multiple innings out of the Cardinals' bullpen last season and was stretched out as a starter this spring, finishing with a 4.58 ERA and 20:5 K:BB over 17.2 frames. Leahy has not reached 90 innings in any of the last three seasons while being used in the bullpen, so he's sure to face some form of workload restrictions in 2026. |
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Jordan Walker Jordan Walker Homers in final spring game
Sun, Mar 22, 2026, 2:38 PM
Walker went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's Grapefruit league finale against the Astros.
Analysis: Walker's first and only home run this spring went 413 feet and was measured at 111.3 mph off the bat. He also contributed a single that exited his bat at 106.5 mph. While he finished spring training on a high note, it's been a disappointing camp for Walker on the whole, as he hit only .205 with a 3:16 BB:K over 47 plate appearances. The 23-year-old will open 2026 as the Cardinals' everyday right fielder and should be offered some leash during the club's rebuilding season. |
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Michael McGreevy Michael McGreevy Depressed velocity this spring
Sun, Mar 22, 2026, 2:31 PM
McGreevy yielded one run on three hits and no walks over five innings in Sunday's Grapefruit League start versus the Astros. He recorded five strikeouts.
Analysis: He served up a solo home run to Taylor Trammell, but that was the lone run the Astros were able to push across against the righty. McGreevy finished spring training with a 2.45 ERA and 16:2 K:BB over 18.1 innings, but his velocity has been down across the board. He averaged 90.8 mph with his four-seamer Sunday, down significantly from the 93 mph he averaged with the pitch in 2025. It's possible McGreevy will start throwing harder once the bright lights are on, but the lack of velocity is concerning for a hurler who's already had difficulty missing bats. McGreevy will make his season debut Saturday at home against the Rays. |
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Gordon Graceffo Gordon Graceffo Optioned to Memphis
Sat, Mar 21, 2026, 2:43 PM
The Cardinals optioned Graceffo to Triple-A Memphis on Saturday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Analysis: Graceffo didn't allow an earned run through three innings in the Grapefruit League. However, he posted a 6.28 ERA and 1.47 WHIP over 43 innings with the Cardinals last season, so they'll wait to see more from him in the minors before admitting him back into their big-league bullpen. |
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Lars Nootbaar Lars Nootbaar Will open season on IL
Sat, Mar 21, 2026, 9:54 AM
Nootbaar (heel) will start the 2026 regular season on the injured list, William Ladson of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: As expected, Nootbaar will miss the opening portion of the regular season while rehabbing from offseason surgery on both heels. There is no clear timeline for when the 28-year-old outfielder will be ready to make his season debut. Nootbaar's absence means Nathan Church should see a bump in starts in the outfield to open the 2026 campaign. |
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Nathan Church Nathan Church Seems likely to make roster
Thu, Mar 19, 2026, 4:15 PM
Church has an .825 OPS through 13 Grapefruit League games and has made a strong case to make St. Louis' Opening Day roster, Bill Ladson of MLB.com reports.
Analysis: The 25-year-old entered camp with a fairly clear path to a roster spot with Lars Nootbaar (heel) set to begin the season on the injured list, and Church has played well during spring training with a .290 average, one homer and one steal in 37 plate appearances. With the Cardinals committing to a rebuild this offseason, a strong start to the campaign could allow Church to retain a sizable role even once Nootbaar is healthy. |
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Victor Scott II Victor Scott II Yet to get on track
Thu, Mar 19, 2026, 4:07 PM
Scott has a .161/.317/.226 slash line with one double and five stolen bases through 42 plate appearances in Grapefruit League action.
Analysis: The 25-year-old reworked his swing during the offseason and entered spring training looking to bunt for base hits more often, but he has just five total bases through 13 Grapefruit League games. Scott will provide strong defense in center field, but his bat will likely need to come to life at some point in 2026 to retain the starting job. He played in 138 games last year and posted a .216/.305/.296 slash line with five homers and 34 steals. |
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Scott Blewett Scott Blewett Denied spot on Opening Day roster
Wed, Mar 18, 2026, 3:11 PM
The Cardinals reassigned Blewett to minor-league camp Wednesday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Analysis: Blewett had been attending spring training as a non-roster invitee, but he made a spirited run at a spot in the Cardinals' Opening Day bullpen after submitting a 1.50 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 7:3 K:BB in six Grapefruit League innings. With Blewett now officially out of the mix for a roster berth, Rule 5 pick Matt Pushard and offseason trade acquisition George Soriano should have better odds of breaking camp with the big club. |
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Matthew Liberatore Matthew Liberatore Named Opening Day starter
Wed, Mar 18, 2026, 1:08 PM
The Cardinals announced Wednesday that Liberatore will start the team's March 26 season opener against the Rays in St. Louis.
Analysis: It will be Liberatore's first career Opening Day nod, and it comes against the team that selected him 16th overall in the 2018 Draft. After working mainly as reliever in 2024, Liberatore started all 29 games in which he appeared last regular season, posting an 8-12 record, 4.21 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 122:40 K:BB across 151.2 innings. He's been stellar this spring, with a 2.70 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 14:1 K:BB across 10 innings. |
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Alec Burleson Alec Burleson Showing improved patience
Wed, Mar 18, 2026, 10:09 AM
Burleson went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts during Monday's spring game against the Nationals, but he has a .286/.459/.393 slash line with one homer and eight walks through 38 Grapefruit League plate appearances.
Analysis: The 27-year-old has a 6.6 percent walk rate since making his MLB debut in 2022, but he apparently entered camp looking to take a more patient approach. Burleson clubbed 18 homers with an .802 OPS in 139 games last season and is poised to operate as St. Louis' primary first baseman in 2026. |
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Richard Fitts Richard Fitts Loses out in rotation competition
Wed, Mar 18, 2026, 9:55 AM
The Cardinals optioned Fitts to Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday.
Analysis: Fitts' demotion signals that Kyle Leahy and Andre Pallante have beaten him out in the camp competition for the final two spots in the Cardinals' Opening Day rotation. After being acquired from the Red Sox over the winter, Fitts had an uneven performance over his three Grapefruit League starts, posting a respectable 9:3 K:BB but allowing six earned runs on nine hits across 9.1 innings. |
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Ramon Urias Ramon Urias Returns to spring lineup
Wed, Mar 18, 2026, 8:32 AM
Urias (elbow) will start at third base and bat third in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.
Analysis: Urias will make his return to the St. Louis spring lineup for the first time since March 9, after he had been temporarily held out of action due to elbow soreness. The Cardinals' willingness to deploy him in the infield rather than at designated hitter in his return suggests that the elbow issue is no longer affecting his throwing. Urias is likely to serve as a utility infielder for the Cardinals, with most of his starts expected to come against left-handed pitching when St. Louis is at full strength. |
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Ivan Herrera Ivan Herrera Starting at catcher Wednesday
Wed, Mar 18, 2026, 8:28 AM
Herrera (knee) will start at catcher and bat second in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.
Analysis: Herrera is expected to play behind the plate for the first three innings of Wednesday's contest in what marks his first game action since March 6. The 25-year-old has been slowed by knee inflammation over the past two weeks, but assuming he emerges from Wednesday's contest without any setbacks, he should be ready to go for Opening Day. Herrera is expected to a regular part of the St. Louis lineup this season, seeing the bulk of his action at designated hitter while occasionally spelling Pedro Pages at catcher. |
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Ivan Herrera Ivan Herrera Rejoining spring lineup Wednesday
Tue, Mar 17, 2026, 9:56 AM
Herrera (knee) will catch a bullpen session Tuesday and is expected to be in the Cardinals' Grapefruit League lineup Wednesday against the Astros, Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Analysis: The 25-year-old is expected to catch three frames in Wednesday's contest, as he's scheduled to get his first at-bats in a Grapefruit League game in nearly two weeks. Herrera was built up slowly at the start of spring training following offseason elbow surgery but has more recently been battling knee inflammation. He's expected to open the campaign as St. Louis' primary designated hitter but should also see some opportunities behind the plate. |
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Ryan Fernandez Ryan Fernandez Cut from big-league camp
Sun, Mar 15, 2026, 3:40 PM
The Cardinals optioned Fernandez to Triple-A Memphis on Sunday.
Analysis: The right-hander made 32 relief appearances for St. Louis last year but struggled to a 7.71 ERA and 1.71 WHIP in 30.1 innings. Fernandez wasn't any better during spring training with eight runs allowed and a 7:5 K:BB across six frames, so he'll begin 2026 at Triple-A. |
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