The St. Louis Cardinals are five games into a stretch of 29 games in 30 days. The coming weeks will test the Cardinals’ pitching depth, both with their starters and relievers. It will also be a test for just how good the team is after they came off a month of May with the best record in baseball.
Expanding the Starting Rotation
To cope with the long stretch with minimal off-days, the Cardinals will expand their starting rotation again to six men. Earlier in the season, when they did this, they flexed veteran Steven Matz from the bullpen to the rotation. Now, they are poised to bring in promising youngster Michael McGreevy from Triple-A for an extended run on the Big League squad.
McGreevy will get a tough test in his first spot start during this stretch. He will face the Los Angeles Dodgers with a chance for the Cardinals to sweep the defending World Series Champions. The 2021 first-round pick has had an impressive start to his career. Between spot starts in the second half of last season and a shutout 5.2 inning relief appearance this year, McGreevy has a 1.57 ERA at the MLB level so far. He will likely have multiple opportunities to showcase his abilities in the coming months.
Matz has become too crucial to the bullpen to risk putting him in the starting rotation. In 17 appearances out of the bullpen this year, Matz has a 2.86 ERA. He’s been a mix of long relief and spot relief depending on where he is most needed. In two starts, Matz has a 1.00 ERA. While Matz could be folded back into the rotation, the Cardinals having a solid sixth option in McGreevy gives them the luxury of keeping the 34-year-old in the bullpen.
A Question Mark with Their Most Consistent Starter
The situation for the Cardinals got even more anxiety inducing with Matthew Liberatore’s last start. The 25-year-old was lifted from a start against the Kansas City Royals in the fifth inning when his fastball velocity suddenly dropped from the high 90s to the high 80s. The team is listing Liberatore as day-to-day with fatigue. However, the left-handed starter disputed that it was the reason for his sudden struggles.
“I wasn’t concerned about pain or fatigue or anything,” Liberatore told reporters after the game. “I was trying to figure out how to adjust and ran out of time.”
Liberatore maintains he just got out of sync. He was tagged for five runs in the games, which ballooned his ERA to 3.82 on the season. Before that point, he was boasting a team-best ERA of 2.73. Liberatore is currently scheduled to make his next start on Wednesday against the Toronto Blue Jays.
An Improved Bullpen Seeks to Keep Momentum
The Cardinals bullpen improved with the team in May. At the end of April, the Cardinals had the sixth-worst bullpen ERA in the League. By June 7, that has improved to middle of the pack in the League, at the 16th worst. Ryan Fernandez, a standout in 2024, was sent down to Triple-A after he started the season with an 11.42 ERA. Roddery Munoz has had a similar story as he has a 9.53 ERA this season. However, he has since been given short stints when the Cardinals need a fresh arm.
The Cardinals have been creative with options on Triple-A. Over the past month, they have been rotating Gordon Graceffo and Matt Svanson between Memphis and St. Louis as needed. Phil Maton and Kyle Leahy have been rock-solid for the Cardinals, posting a 2.25 and a 2.34 ERA, respectively. JoJo Romero and Matz have been good left-handed options for the Cardinals out of the bullpen.
Ryan Helsley has struggled this year after leading the Majors in saves last year. He has a 3.52 ERA with four blown saves. However, he doesn’t appear to be close to losing his role as the Cardinals ninth inning option. He is also fourth amongst relievers in innings pitched this year, showing the team is sensitive to not overworking him.
The Key for the Pitching Staff Over the Next Month
The starters, with their expanded rotation, need to avoid short outings over the next month. A three-inning outing could cause a spiral for the Cardinals that could put pressure on their bullpen and their minor league options. The Cardinals offense is doing enough in most games to give the team a chance to win. However, if the bullpen is taxed and they have to rely more on their less solid options, the Cardinals will be in trouble.
Liberatore will be a linchpin for the rotation. If his struggles in his last outing are more than just being out of sync, the Cardinals may be forced to use Matz as more of a starter. That situation would change the complexion of their bullpen.
The Cardinals have worked themselves into playoff contention with a 36-28 record. The pitching staff holding serve will determine whether they stay in the Wild-Card and Division hunt into July or start to fall off.
Main Photo Credits: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
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