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Hancel Rincon Hancel Rincon Sent back to Triple-A
Sun, Sep 6, 2026, 2:19 PM
The Cardinals optioned Rincon to Triple-A Memphis on Sunday.
Analysis: He'll give up his spot on the 28-man active roster to left-hander Cooper Hjerpe, who is expected to pitch behind starter Kyle Leahy in Sunday's game against the Rockies. After getting his first big-league call-up Sept. 1, Rincon appeared in two games out of the St. Louis bullpen and surrendered seven earned runs on five hits and one walk over 1.1 innings. |
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Jose Fermin Jose Fermin Sitting in third straight game
Sun, Sep 6, 2026, 2:16 PM
Fermin is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rockies.
Analysis: Fermin is on the bench for a third straight game and looks like he'll be ticketed for a short-side platoon role in the St. Louis infield. The Cardinals have been prioritizing Bryan Torres, Thomas Saggese and Nolan Gorman ahead of Fermin against right-handed pitching while all of Masyn Winn (thumb), JJ Wetherholt (wrist) and Blaze Jordan (ankle) are on the injured list. |
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Bryan Torres Bryan Torres Third straight start in leadoff spot
Sun, Sep 6, 2026, 2:14 PM
Torres will start at second base and bat leadoff in Sunday's game against the Rockies.
Analysis: Torres will set the table for the Cardinals for the fifth time in seven contests after going 3-for-9 with three walks, two runs and an RBI in his prior four starts. He appears primed to handle a strong-side platoon role for the Cardinals while three key infielders (JJ Wetherholt, Masyn Winn and Blaze Jordan) are all on the injured list. |
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Cooper Hjerpe Cooper Hjerpe Promoted Sunday
Sun, Sep 6, 2026, 1:11 PM
The Cardinals recalled Hjerpe from Triple-A Memphis, and he's expected to pitch behind starter Kyle Leahy in Sunday's game against the Rockies at Coors Field, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Analysis: After getting bumped up from Double-A Springfield in early August, Hjerpe posted a 0.95 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 27:17 K:BB across 19 innings in his first five starts for Memphis. Hjerpe will now get his first call to the big leagues and will be asked to provide length behind Leahy, whose workload is being managed down the stretch. Leahy has failed to last five frames in each of his past two starts but has given up two runs or fewer in each of his past 12 outings, so Hjerpe could have a decent chance at a win if Leahy has another short but effective start Sunday. According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals plan to keep Hjerpe on a starter's workload moving forward, so he could piggyback Leahy in future turns through the rotation. |
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Masyn Winn Masyn Winn Lingering soreness stalls return
Sun, Sep 6, 2026, 11:36 AM
Winn's (thumb) activation from the 10-day injured list has been delayed due to discomfort he felt during pregame batting practice Friday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Analysis: Winn had targeted a return Saturday, but certain kinds of swings still give him trouble and the Cardinals "need to get on the other side of it completely" before the shortstop is reinstated, per manager Oliver Marmol. The 24-year-old has missed the last two-plus weeks with a small fracture in his left thumb. Thomas Saggese has drawn the last six starts at shortstop for St. Louis in Winn's stead. |
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Jose Fermin Jose Fermin Idle Saturday
Sat, Sep 5, 2026, 5:52 PM
Fermin isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Rockies.
Analysis: Fermin went 0-for-2 with a run scored Friday to snap what had been a modest four-game hitting streak, and he'll now get a chance to rest his legs while Bryan Torres starts at second base and bats leadoff. |
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Masyn Winn Masyn Winn Appears poised for activation Saturday
Sat, Sep 5, 2026, 11:01 AM
Winn (thumb) intends to return from the 10-day injured list for Saturday's game in Colorado, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Analysis: The Cardinals put Winn through a full pregame workout Friday, and as long as he recovers from that with no issues, he'll be in the lineup for Saturday's contest versus the Rockies. Winn has missed the last two weeks of action with a small fracture in his left thumb. |
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Gordon Graceffo Gordon Graceffo Could get spot start next week
Sat, Sep 5, 2026, 10:55 AM
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol indicated Friday that Graceffo is under consideration to make a start during next week's series in San Francisco, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Analysis: The qualifier is that the Cardinals will have to first get through a weekend series at Coors Field without needing to use Graceffo out of the bullpen, which is easier said than done. A midseason pitch mix change has unlocked Graceffo, who has logged a 2.22 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 31:11 K:BB over 28.1 innings since ditching his curveball for a new slider. He threw three perfect innings with four strikeouts while starting a bullpen game last week versus the Orioles, and the righty has since added an additional five scoreless frames with a 9:1 K:BB over two subsequent outings. Graceffo threw a season-high 48 pitches his last time out, so he should be capable of around 50-to-60 pitches next week if he does wind up making a spot start. |
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Ivan Herrera Ivan Herrera Launches three-run homer Friday
Sat, Sep 5, 2026, 8:55 AM
Herrera went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run in Friday's 7-6 victory over the Rockies.
Analysis: Herrera delivered the game's decisive swing with St. Louis trailing 6-4 in the ninth with a 430-foot blast to center field to give the Cardinals a one-run lead in the top of the ninth. The homer was his 15th of the season and completed a comeback after the Cardinals had squandered an early three-run advantage. Herrera has had four multi-hit performances in his last five games, and this homer snapped a 15-game stretch without a long ball. |
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Riley O'Brien Riley O'Brien Secures 36th save of season
Sat, Sep 5, 2026, 8:51 AM
O'Brien earned the save in Friday's 7-6 win over the Rockies after allowing one hit while striking out two without a walk in a scoreless ninth inning.
Analysis: A three-run go-ahead home run from Ivan Herrera allowed O'Brien the opportunity to earn the save in the bottom of the ninth, and the star closer got the job done on 12 pitches (10 strikes). O'Brien made things interesting, however, as a throwing error on a pickoff attempt moved the potential tying run into scoring position after a single from TJ Rumfield, O'Brien sealed the win by striking out Cole Carrigg. O'Brien bounced back after being tagged with a blown save Thursday against the Dodgers and has gone 12-for-14 in save chances since the All-Star break despite a 5.60 ERA. |
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Cade Winquest Cade Winquest Picks up win in relief
Sat, Sep 5, 2026, 8:46 AM
Winquest (1-0) earned the win after allowing one hit while striking out one over 1.2 scoreless innings in Friday's 7-6 victory over the Rockies.
Analysis: Winquest entered the game in the seventh inning with one out and delivered an impressive showing. His scoreless outing gave the Cardinals' offense enough time to rally, with Ivan Herrera's three-run homer in the ninth ultimately putting St. Louis ahead. The comeback handed Winquest the first victory of his major-league career, while his ERA dropped to 1.59. He's allowed just one run on 5.2 innings and four appearances for the Cardinals this season. |
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Andre Pallante Andre Pallante Allows one run in return
Sat, Sep 5, 2026, 8:24 AM
Pallante didn't factor into the decision Friday against the Rockies after allowing one run on two hits and four walks while striking out one over five innings.
Analysis: Pallante was activated Friday ahead of this start after a two-week stint on the injured list due to right elbow inflammation, and while he had control issues, he limited the damage to just one run. Pallante is a serviceable arm who can consistently pitch at least five innings, as he's done so in each of his last 14 starts. Over that span, he owns a 3.04 ERA and 1.17 WHIP with a 52:24 K:BB across 83 innings. He's scheduled to make his next start on the road against the Giants. |
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Ryan Fernandez Ryan Fernandez Dispatched to Triple-A
Fri, Sep 4, 2026, 5:03 PM
The Cardinals optioned Fernandez to Triple-A Memphis on Friday.
Analysis: The move makes room on the Cardinals' roster for Andre Pallante, who was activated from the 15-day injured list ahead of his scheduled start against the Rockies on Friday. In six outings since being promoted from Triple-A on Aug. 21, Fernandez allowed five runs on eight hits and four walks while striking out eight across 9.2 innings. |
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Andre Pallante Andre Pallante Activated ahead of start
Fri, Sep 4, 2026, 5:02 PM
Pallante (elbow) has been activated from the 15-day injured list ahead of his scheduled start against the Rockies on Friday.
Analysis: Pallante has been officially cleared to return from a two-week stint on the injured list due to right elbow inflammation. He'll take a 3.57 ERA and 1.24 WHIP over 136 innings into Friday's start, which will be his first time facing the Rockies since July 23, 2025, when he took the loss after allowing five runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out five batters over five innings. Right-hander Ryan Fernandez was optioned to Triple-A Memphis in a corresponding move. |
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Jose Fermin Jose Fermin Sitting Friday
Fri, Sep 4, 2026, 4:48 PM
Fermin is not in the Cardinals' starting lineup against the Rockies on Friday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Analysis: Fermin will take a breather while Bryan Torres will start at second base and bat out of the leadoff spot Friday. Fermin has gone 7-for-28 with two steals, one RBI and four runs scored over his last seven games. |
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Finishes breakout season in style
Fri, Sep 4, 2026, 9:29 AM
Odle notched a career-high 12 strikeouts while yielding two runs over 4.2 innings Thursday in his final start of the season with High-A Peoria.
Analysis: It's a fitting end to a season that saw Odle rack up 143 strikeouts over 96 innings between Single-A Palm Beach and Peoria. He also walked 65 batters, so Odle has some work to do from a control perspective, but the 22-year-old right-hander has big-time stuff and has established himself as a legitimate pitching prospect in the Cardinals' revamped system. |
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Masyn Winn Masyn Winn Expected to return this weekend
Fri, Sep 4, 2026, 9:19 AM
The Cardinals expect to activate Winn (thumb) from the 10-day injured list sometime during this weekend's series in Colorado, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Analysis: Winn's return was considered for a series this week versus the Dodgers, but the Cardinals opted to have him go through another round of workouts instead. The shortstop could be activated as soon as Friday. Winn is working his way back from a small fracture in his left thumb. |
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Andre Pallante Andre Pallante Rejoining rotation Friday
Fri, Sep 4, 2026, 8:29 AM
Pallante (elbow) will be activated from the 15-day injured list to start Friday's game in Colorado, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Analysis: Pallante has been shelved for the past two weeks with right elbow inflammation, but he continued to throw while on the IL and has been given clearance to return. The right-hander skipped a rehab assignment, opting instead for facing hitters in a live batting practice situation. Because of this, he could be somewhat limited from a pitch-count perspective against the Rockies. |
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Hunter Dobbins Hunter Dobbins Undergoes reconstructive elbow surgery
Thu, Sep 3, 2026, 7:06 PM
Dobbins underwent reconstructive surgery on his right elbow Wednesday, and he is expected to require a 12-month recovery, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Analysis: Dobbins was placed on the 15-day injured list Aug. 22 with right forearm discomfort, but after he received a second opinion on the arm Tuesday, he opted to undergo elbow surgery. The 27-year-old has now undergone two procedures on his right elbow in his young career, and he may be forced to miss the entirety of the 2027 campaign while recovering. Dobbins made 11 appearances, including eight starts, with St. Louis this season, posting a 3.67 ERA and 1.35 WHIP with 52 strikeouts over 54 innings. |
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Alec Burleson Alec Burleson Sitting Thursday
Thu, Sep 3, 2026, 5:31 PM
Burleson is not in the lineup Thursday against the Dodgers.
Analysis: Burleson went 0-for-9 with an RBI and two strikeouts in the first two games of the series against the Dodgers. He'll get a chance to reset on the bench Thursday while Leo Bernal starts at first base and Pedro Pages starts behind the dish. |
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