The Cardinals activated left-hander Steven Matz off the 15-day injured list today, as Matz was slated to start the Cardinals’ game against the Reds before the contest was rained out. Matz will now have to wait until after the All-Star break to make his official return to the field, as he has been sidelined since May 22 due to a shoulder impingement. With the Cards in need of rotation help, a healthy and effective Matz would be a major boost to the team, as both sides must hope that this two-month absence can essentially be a restart on Matz’s season. After signing a four-year, $44MM free agent deal with St. Louis in November, Matz stumbled out of the gate with a 6.03 ERA over his first 37 1/3 innings in a Cardinals uniform.
To create room on the active roster, St. Louis placed right-hander Drew VerHagen on the 15-day IL with a right hip impingement. A similar injury sent VerHagen to the injured list for a little over three weeks earlier this season, and the righty was just activated from another IL stint (due to shoulder problems) earlier this week. With all of these health issues, it perhaps isn’t surprising that VerHagen has only a 6.65 ERA over 21 2/3 innings, with walks and home runs being particular issues for the 31-year-old. VerHagen is another offseason signing for the Cards, joining the team on a two-year, $5.5MM deal after spending the previous two seasons pitching in Japan.
More comings and goings off the injured list from around the league…
- The Royals placed left-hander Daniel Lynch on the 15-day IL, as Lynch is again dealing with a blister problem. Lynch had already been sent to the IL with that same blister issue on June 24, and he was activated earlier this week and made two abbreviated starts before returning to the sidelines. It has been a difficult season for Lynch, who has a 5.05 ERA and a wealth of troubling Statcast metrics over 15 starts and 71 1/3 innings. Lynch’s IL placement was part of a busy day of roster moves for the Royals, who sent 10 players (Angel Zerpa, Nick Pratto, Gabe Speier, Collin Snider, Brewer Hicklen, Michael Massey, Freddy Fermin, Nate Eaton to Triple-A; Sebastian Rivero and Maikel Garcia to Double-A) to the minors in the aftermath of their series in Toronto. This clears the way for the return of 10 Kansas City players, who were placed on the restricted list due to their non-vaccinated status.
- The Pirates placed righty Chase De Jong on the 15-day IL due to tendinitis in his left knee, and Bryse Wilson (today’s starting pitcher against the Rockies) was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move. Another knee injury is perhaps a red flag for De Jong, who underwent surgery on that same left knee last year. The surgery cut short De Jong’s first season in Pittsburgh, but after signing another minor league deal with the Bucs this past winter, De Jong has rebounded to post a 2.06 ERA over 35 relief innings in 2022.
Cardinals really blew it on that signing of VerHagen.
I agree!! Unfortunately—-VerHagen wasn’t the only disappointing ball player Mozeliak added this off Season.
Seems like “every player” Mozeliak added in the 21-22 offseason—- Are all disappointing Mozeliak Low Hanging Fruit type players
Not surprised at all to see the Cardinals go college arm heavy in this year’s draft as Verhagen, Matz, McFarland, Wittgren(DFA), Libratore, have all struggled at times and it supplements the budding minor league talent who’s yet to reach the majors like Walker and Wynn, I still really hope they swing a trade for Brad Keller afraid the Royals will want to much of STL young talent to get a deal across the finish line.
He has a great breaking ball but he can’t command his fastball. He might get it together. He has the “stuff.”
Nothing says your team is terrible like eagerly anticipating the return of the great Steven Matz. The desperation in St. Louis is as low as it’s ever been and that’s saying something since last years rotation had Jon Lester and JA Happ.
In the case that they suck the desperation would be high not low buddy
Yes, they are SO terrible and SO desperate and it has GOT to suck being a half game out of first place at the All-Star Break.
Another genius take.
2nd place In the worst division in baseball. Be proud
Worst poster on boards. Be proud.
I know. I put that there on purpose to see who I can trust
Lester and Happ did fine for St Louis last year. Matz doesn’t have to be an ace, just fill innings at 4.00 ERA which he has done just fine for years. But I understand. Trolls gotta troll.
Being just fine doesn’t get you a ring. Cardinal fans gotta cardinal
Second most World Series titles got you all bothered I see.
No one cares.
Half of them were won before 1947. Truman was president.
Two of them have been in the past 20 years while G.W. Bush and Obama were President.
Watch out, you’re going to conjure up that corpse who calls himself Themed.
De Jong has been low-key great this year for the Pirates. I know the underlying numbers don’t support it and I don’t think it’s sustainable either, but might as well enjoy it while it lasts.
They throw so many waiver claim on 28 year old journeymen pitcher darts at the wall, we should be excited when one finally lands on the dartboard.
At this point it doesn’t hurt. Not like they are a reliever away from the playoffs
Getting a rainout the day before the All Star break was maybe the best piece of luck the Cardinals have had all season. The bullpen needed a long rest. Would love to see them get healthy, come back, and catch fire in the second half.
They’re going to be just fine. Matz got out of the gate slowly. Not a big deal. Happens to plenty of players and the ingredients for him to be successful – a strong defense behind him – are all there. Gallegos becoming unreliable as of late concerns me a bit as does Bader’s foot, but perhaps both of those are cured with a mental and physical break.
What are the odds that Ver Hagen could’ve played through this injury if he didn’t suck? He might’ve been DFAed instead if he didn’t have a two-year contract.
That would be my guess.
any chance the Pirates could dfa van meter and yoshi ?
Chance? Yes. I wouldn’t bet my house on it. Shelton seems to have some unnatural crush on Van Meter, and Yoshi… well, I like Yoshi, so I’m hoping he somehow recaptures last season and figured it out.
Take your pick for Van Meter-(1) has photos of Shelton or BC(2) is man crush of Shelton(3) is the fourth most user closer (4) is the third string catcher.
Or all four.
He will be gone when they add Bae to both the 40 and 25 man rosters.
Yoshi does not look like he is turning it around.No one will want him at the trade deadline.The Pirates best hope is that someone picks him up after the Pirates release him which will be in August when they need the 40 and 25 man roster spots for a young player,He would have been gone by now but he makes too much money.
What ever happened to the commentor BigPapi4Life?