Cardinals manager Oli Marmol informed the club’s beat today, including Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, that right-hander Sonny Gray will start the season on the 15-day injured list. Outfielder Lars Nootbaar will start the year on the 10-day IL. Left-hander Zack Thompson will get a rotation job to start the season with fellow lefty Matthew Liberatore will be in the bullpen.
Gray was diagnosed with a right hamstring strain a couple of weeks ago and has been working his way back to health since then. Gray says he’s been healthy for about 10 to 12 days, per John Denton of MLB.com, but hasn’t had enough game action to be ready for the start of the season. Gray tells Denton that he thinks he’ll be able to return about 10 or 11 games into the season, since Opening Day IL stints can be backdated by three days. The Cards have a scheduled off-day after their eighth game on the docket.
While it’s not ideal for a club’s ace and key offseason signee to begin the year on the shelf, it seems Gray is planning on a minimal stay that will only involve missing a couple of turns through the rotation. Gray posted a 2.79 earned run average for the Twins last year, finishing second to Gerrit Cole in American League Cy Young voting.
As the Cards were looking to remake their rotation on the heels of a disaster season, Gray was the centerpiece of their offseason. While Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson were signed to serve as veteran innings eaters, Gray was given a three-year, $75MM deal to be at the front of the rotation for the foreseeable future.
Gray’s temporary absence will open a rotation spot for a little while behind Miles Mikolas, Steven Matz, Lynn and Gibson, with Thompson stepping into it. He has a 3.65 ERA in 101 career innings to this point in his career. His 23.4% strikeout rate, 9.2% walk rate and 47.3% ground ball rate are all fairly close to league average. This spring, he has a 2.81 ERA in 16 innings.
He has an option year remaining and could perhaps be sent to Triple-A when Gray is healthy, but Liberatore has an option as well. That could perhaps leave Thompson in a long relief role while Liberatore is the one to go to Triple-A, depending on how the Cards want to play it.
As for Nootbaar, he injured himself making a catch a couple of weeks back and was diagnosed with two nondisplaced fractures in his ribs. Since Tommy Edman is also going to start the season on the shelf, the Cards will be without two thirds of their planned starting outfield. Edman has still been experiencing pain in his surgically repaired right wrist.
Until Nootbaar and/or Edman are able to return, the Cards will likely roll with an outfield of Dylan Carlson in center while Jordan Walker and Alec Burleson take the corners. Utility player Brendan Donovan will be rotating through multiple infield and outfield positions. Prospect Victor Scott is still in camp but the club could prefer for him to have regular playing time in the minors as opposed to a big league bench job, which could lead to Michael Siani making the roster. There are also plenty of guys shaking loose from other clubs as roster cuts are made and veterans opt out of minor league deals.
Aw, Noots! I’m nuts about Nootbaar.
We’ll find Nootbar in the Nudie bar
You must have him confused with Tommy Pham.
Wham bam thank you Pham, Tony Pham?
Last year’s IP most since 2015 for Sonny. Hope you get 130 from him
Second place for min
Cracked ribs are certainly not noothing to worry about.
Cards not going anywhere! 86 -76 at best.
That could win this sorry division.
The media outlets are predicting the Cardinals to only be around .500.
Give or take a game or 2.
Of course if they win only 82 games——-
Mozeliak will claim it’s a successful season.
That’s a lot of talent missing to start the year. Liberatore and Thompson are probably every bit as good as or better than Lynn and Gibson but no Gray is a major problem. I guess Burleson gets more opportunity to prove he’s not big league material. Hopefully Carlson can show something but who knows with him.
Both, Carlson and Burleson are having good Springs. Sure would like to see Scott get a free audition, until Edman returns. If he struggles in April, they can send him to Memphis for more seasoning. The clock would then stop. Siani is also a terrific defender with speed. But the offense is still a question mark.
I think Scott could be ready but mid season is when I think he gets the call.
It’s not a question mark on Siani. He just can’t hit.
Gray is only missing one start
Cards don’t have much competition in that Division
Nobody has much competition in the NL Central if we’re all being honest. None of these teams appear to be serious WS contenders currently, but you never know and it’s why we love watching the games!!
Cards are a little too left-handed, until Edman returns, but they face the Dodgers, Padres, Marlins, Phillies and D-backs, and their oppositions don’t really have a lot of top notched starters who are healthy. Sianni, the extra outfielder is also a lefty. Saggese certainly can hit but he is an infielder by trade. However, Carlson turns around to his better hitting side, and Herrera can DH. Still a righty nucleus of Arenado, Goldschmit, Contreras and Walker provide a pretty strong core from the right side, it is just Burleson against lefties is a concern.
And all the subs are lefties. Crawford and Carpenter both hit from the left side. Not a big issue, but Winn needs to show he can contribute against lefties or else late in games they don’t really have other options, and I am not fond of their available choices.
That puts Gray and Nootbaar in the lead in the race for the Tyler O’Neill Award.
I think they finish 5th.
Nootbar seems like he’s injured quite a lot. He can be very good offensively but needs to stay on the field.
he is really overrated
Once Noooooot gets healthy, it will take him several weeks to get into some sort of rhythm.
And even then he will be behind when it comes to facing big league pitching, getting his timing back.
Of course! Another break for the Dodgers. They get to miss Sonny Gray all while covering up for Ohtani’s interpreter.
Well good thing we have so much outfield depth.
Yes. We keep it in Tampa Bay, where it’s safely out of reach.
Maybe the Cardinals should stop signing guys with stupid names
I am VERY concerned about Masyn Winn. I don’t think he’s ready and Brandon Crawford isn’t going to hold up if asked to play everyday. Tommy might as well start preparing to be the starting SS when he gets healthy. That makes CF Carlson’s job to lose. Siani should make the team and help keep him fresh.
Burleson is forcing his way into playing time.
I still like Herrera getting most of the starts at catcher and Contreras acting as the primary DH.
Wishful thinking here———
I’d like for the Cardinals to trade for Matt Holliday’s son from the Orioles. Then Hire Matt Holliday as the hitting coach. Several Cardinal players go to Matt Holliday in the offseason every year for instruction anyway.
I wish the Cardinals would sign healthy and young players. Not go thru the Geriatric Center!