January 21, 2026 5:25 PM PST
The Cardinals have been without all month, as the veteran lefty has been on the shelf due to a lower back strain. Hed been slated to throw a bullpen se sion today, but thats now been scrapped due to ongoing discomfort, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat. Instead, Matz will receive an injection and be shut down from throwing for at least the next week po Henry Marchese Jersey sibly longer, depending on how he responds to the latest treatment. Matz, 33 at the end of the month, is in the third season of a four-year, $44MM contract signed in free agency. The former Mets and Blue Jays hurler rebounded from a dreadful first season of that agreement in 2022 to give the Cards 105 innings of 3.86 ERA ball last season. He did so with diminished strikeout and walk rates relative to his 22 levels but also with a resurgent 44.8% grounder rate that helped in mitigating some of the home run troubles hed experienced in his first year with St. Louis. The 2024 season has seen Matz make six starts and struggle to a low tally of 27 1/3 innings as well as a grim 6.18 ERA. Matzs 13.4% strikeout rate would easily be a career-low and stands as the eighth-lowest mark among any of the 182 MLB pitchers to to s at least 20 innings this season. His 8.7% walk rate is average, but this years 33.7% ground-ball rate is the lowest of his career other than a 30-inning sample from the shortened 2020 season. With Matz now sidelined even longer than expected, a window will further open for fellow southpaw . Manager Oli Marmol told the Cardinals beat that plugging Liberatore into Matzs rotation spot for now gives us the best chance to win ( via Jones), so it seems hell remain the preferred option to start in Matzs absence. Liberatore, acquired from the Rays in the trade sending to Tampa Bay, hasnt topped 50 pitches in an outing this year and thus figures to be limited when he takes the ball today in a road matchup with the Angels. His longest outing of the season has been 3 2/3 innings, but if he can work efficiently, its feasible he could get through four or five innings before the Cards go to the bullpen. Speaking of Marmol, hes come under quite a bit of fire as the Cardinals have followed up 2023s surprising last-place finish with an ugly start that once again has them residing in the NL Centrals cellar. Fans have voiced plenty of criticism for the third-year skipper, and president of baseball operations John Mozeliak who surprisingly fired former manager Mike Shildt and installed Marmol as the new skipper seemed to choose his words carefully when asked by KMOXs Tom Ackerman how he currently views his manager ( ). These are times that are difficult, said Mozeliak. I still think he understands the job. I think he knows how to manage. I think hes trying to put the right combination of players in, but at some level youve got to have some performance. I understand fans are not happy with myself. Theyre not happy with Oli. I dont think anything I say here today is going to change that, so I think we have to just keep trying to go back and try to get this to work. And look, we understand if it doesnt, then people are going to be held accountable and ultimately that starts with me. Marmol was entering the final season of his original three-year deal to manage the Cardinals this year, but the front office extended him through the 2026 season back in mid-March. That contract seemed a clear vote of confidence at the time, but le s than two months later, Mozeliak is publicly noting that his skipper has got to have some level of performance and speaking about accountability both on the field level and in the front office. The 16-24 Cardinals are eight games back of the division-leading Brewers and have the fourth-worst run differential in MLB (-51), leading only the Rockies, Marlins and White Sox. Cardinals hitters rank 28th in the majors in batting average (.220), 27th in on-base percentage (.298) and 29th in slugging percentage (.341). Their 136 runs are the second-fewest in MLB, and St. Louis is tied with the White Sox for the games fewest home runs (29). The revamped rotation hasnt been much better. Cardinals starters are 24th in the big leagues with a combined 4.49 ERA and rank 22nd with a 20.5% strikeout rate. The bullpen, led by closer and setup men , and , has been better, but its a top-heavy group. The struggles of those in the final few spots of the pen have Cardinals relievers sitting at a flat 4.00 ERA on the season, ranking 15th in the big leagues. Miles Taylor Jersey
The Cardinals have been without all month, as the veteran lefty has been on the shelf due to a lower back strain. Hed been slated to throw a bullpen se sion today, but thats now been scrapped due to ongoing discomfort, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat. Instead, Matz will receive an injection and be shut down from throwing for at least the next week po Henry Marchese Jersey sibly longer, depending on how he responds to the latest treatment. Matz, 33 at the end of the month, is in the third season of a four-year, $44MM contract signed in free agency. The former Mets and Blue Jays hurler rebounded from a dreadful first season of that agreement in 2022 to give the Cards 105 innings of 3.86 ERA ball last season. He did so with diminished strikeout and walk rates relative to his 22 levels but also with a resurgent 44.8% grounder rate that helped in mitigating some of the home run troubles hed experienced in his first year with St. Louis. The 2024 season has seen Matz make six starts and struggle to a low tally of 27 1/3 innings as well as a grim 6.18 ERA. Matzs 13.4% strikeout rate would easily be a career-low and stands as the eighth-lowest mark among any of the 182 MLB pitchers to to s at least 20 innings this season. His 8.7% walk rate is average, but this years 33.7% ground-ball rate is the lowest of his career other than a 30-inning sample from the shortened 2020 season. With Matz now sidelined even longer than expected, a window will further open for fellow southpaw . Manager Oli Marmol told the Cardinals beat that plugging Liberatore into Matzs rotation spot for now gives us the best chance to win ( via Jones), so it seems hell remain the preferred option to start in Matzs absence. Liberatore, acquired from the Rays in the trade sending to Tampa Bay, hasnt topped 50 pitches in an outing this year and thus figures to be limited when he takes the ball today in a road matchup with the Angels. His longest outing of the season has been 3 2/3 innings, but if he can work efficiently, its feasible he could get through four or five innings before the Cards go to the bullpen. Speaking of Marmol, hes come under quite a bit of fire as the Cardinals have followed up 2023s surprising last-place finish with an ugly start that once again has them residing in the NL Centrals cellar. Fans have voiced plenty of criticism for the third-year skipper, and president of baseball operations John Mozeliak who surprisingly fired former manager Mike Shildt and installed Marmol as the new skipper seemed to choose his words carefully when asked by KMOXs Tom Ackerman how he currently views his manager ( ). These are times that are difficult, said Mozeliak. I still think he understands the job. I think he knows how to manage. I think hes trying to put the right combination of players in, but at some level youve got to have some performance. I understand fans are not happy with myself. Theyre not happy with Oli. I dont think anything I say here today is going to change that, so I think we have to just keep trying to go back and try to get this to work. And look, we understand if it doesnt, then people are going to be held accountable and ultimately that starts with me. Marmol was entering the final season of his original three-year deal to manage the Cardinals this year, but the front office extended him through the 2026 season back in mid-March. That contract seemed a clear vote of confidence at the time, but le s than two months later, Mozeliak is publicly noting that his skipper has got to have some level of performance and speaking about accountability both on the field level and in the front office. The 16-24 Cardinals are eight games back of the division-leading Brewers and have the fourth-worst run differential in MLB (-51), leading only the Rockies, Marlins and White Sox. Cardinals hitters rank 28th in the majors in batting average (.220), 27th in on-base percentage (.298) and 29th in slugging percentage (.341). Their 136 runs are the second-fewest in MLB, and St. Louis is tied with the White Sox for the games fewest home runs (29). The revamped rotation hasnt been much better. Cardinals starters are 24th in the big leagues with a combined 4.49 ERA and rank 22nd with a 20.5% strikeout rate. The bullpen, led by closer and setup men , and , has been better, but its a top-heavy group. The struggles of those in the final few spots of the pen have Cardinals relievers sitting at a flat 4.00 ERA on the season, ranking 15th in the big leagues. Miles Taylor Jersey