St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Matthew Liberatore has been named the team's fifth starter. The Arizona native was decent in spurts a season ago but could never put it all together consistently. He spent most of his 86 innings out of the bullpen (six starts) in 2024, but the Cardinals will give him another go in the rotation. Liberatore has been solid this spring, compiling a 1.62 ERA and 0.78 WHIP in 16 2/3 innings of work (one start). It's unclear whether or not the former first-round pick will impact fantasy this season, but it's certainly intriguing that the Cardinals continue to give him chances in the rotation. He's nothing more than a late-round lottery ticket at this point and can be found by fantasy managers on waiver wires until he proves he's worth a roster spot.
Cardinals More Likely To Use Matthew Liberatore In Relief Role
The Athletic's Katie Woo writes that all inclinations are that the St. Louis Cardinals are leaning towards using left-hander Matthew Liberatore as a multi-inning reliever (a role he excelled in last year) instead as starting-pitching depth. Liberatore has been dominant in spring games so far, retiring 21 of the 22 batters he's faced without allowing a hit. Manager Oliver Marmol said that the 25-year-old southpaw looks to be on a mission this year, but a path to fantasy relevance is unlikely unless he is given a starting-rotation spot. Based on results alone, Liberatore has been much more effective as a reliever -- 3.89 career ERA in relief as opposed to a 5.86 ERA as a starter -- which is why it makes the most sense for him to open the 2025 season out of the bullpen. After moving to relief last August, he had a 25% strikeout rate and 2.67 ERA out of the 'pen.
Matthew Liberatore Preparing To Be A Starter In 2025
St. Louis Cardinals left-hander Matthew Liberatore, who served as a dependable reliever for the team in 2024, said that he's preparing to be a starter in spring training and for the 2025 regular season. "It's easier to go from five innings to one than one to five," Liberatore said. MLB's John Denton writes that the key for Liberatore will be getting better against right-handed hitters, and that could ultimately determine if the Cardinals are comfortable giving him a starting-rotation spot to begin the regular season. The 25-year-old southpaw and former first-rounder by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018 held a 4.40 ERA and 1.23 WHIP overall with a career-high 76 strikeouts and 28 walks in 86 innings over 60 outings (six starts) for St. Louis last year, but he had an ERA under 4.00 in relief. In his career as a starter, Liberatore holds an ERA just south of 6.00.
Matthew Liberatore Fans Career-High Eight Against Braves
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore recorded eight strikeouts without allowing a run across six innings of work, picking up his second win of the year during his start against the Atlanta Braves in Wednesday's doubleheader. Drawing the start for the Cardinals on short notice in Game 2 of Wednesday's twin bill, Liberatore was stellar in what was easily his best display of the season. The 24-year-old left-hander has plenty of untapped potential; he was the top pitching prospect in St. Louis' farm system just three years ago. Although it's unclear how manager Oliver Marmol will elect to use Liberatore going forward, he's suddenly someone to monitor closely in fantasy leagues moving ahead. Liberatore now carries a 3.86 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with 36 punchouts and 16 walks over 44 1/3 innings (five starts), tentatively lining up to start next week in a favorable spot on the road against the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates.
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Matthew Liberatore will start Monday's game against the Los Angeles Angels, according to manager Oliver Marmol. Liberatore is primarily used as a reliever, but he has started one other game this season. He went 3 2/3 innings in that outing against the Chicago White Sox, giving up one run on three hits with five strikeouts. The 24-year-old was once a top pitching prospect in the Cardinals season and has a five-pitch mix. His leash may not be overly long in Monday's start, but he is an alright streaming option against a Trout-less Angels offense.
St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Matthew Liberatore (illness) was unavailable for this past weekend's three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks because of an illness, but manager Oliver Marmol said that the hurler will rejoin the team on Monday for the start of the three-game series against the Oakland Athletics. Having not pitched since last Tuesday, it sounds like Liberatore is feeling better and should be available out of the bullpen on Monday. The 24-year-old southpaw was the top pitching prospect in St. Louis' farm system not long ago, and while he's settling in as a key bullpen piece for the Cards, it's a far cry from the expectations he once garnered. Liberatore owns a solid 3.52 ERA and 1.30 WHIP with five strikeouts over 7 2/3 innings primarily working as a middle-reliever this year, which is a role that doesn't lend itself to very much fantasy appeal at the moment.
Cardinals Place Matthew Liberatore On Injured List
The St. Louis Cardinals placed left-hander Matthew Liberatore (back) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to Aug. 19) on Tuesday with lower-back tightness and selected the contract of pitcher Jacob Barnes from Triple-A Memphis in a corresponding move. Liberatore's frustrating season in 2023 continues, as he'll now have to miss at least the next two weeks. His back issue cropped up in his last start on Aug. 16 and he apparently didn't recover enough to make his start this week. The 23-year-old southpaw is still young, but he's been a pretty big disappointment ever since St. Louis acquired him in the trade that sent All-Star outfielder Randy Arozarena to the Tampa Bay Rays. Liberatore is 2-5 this year with a 6.12 ERA (4.47 FIP), 1.64 WHIP and 35 strikeouts in 50 innings over 12 outings (11 starts).
St. Louis Cardinals left-hander Matthew Liberatore is making Thursday's start against Sonny Gray and the Minnesota Twins. The former top prospect has pitched 32 innings for the Cards this season, posting a 6.75 ERA, 1.84 WHIP, and 13.9% strikeout rate over nine games and eight starts, but hasn't been in the big leagues since July 5. With Jack Flaherty and Jordan Montgomery off the roster, Liberatore should have a long-term spot on the roster, but he needs to display the talent that made him a first-round draft pick before he becomes fantasy relevant.
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Matthew Liberatore has been optioned to Triple-A Memphis while right-hander Kyle Leahy has been recalled in a corresponding move. Liberatore has struggled to find his footing in the big leagues to this point after debuting last season. Across 18 outings (15 starts) with the Cardinals, Liberatore owns a 6.35 ERA, including a 6.75 mark across nine appearances (eight starts) this season. While he owns an improved 4.70 FIP, the southpaw also sports a 5.57 SIERA and a weak 3.8% K-BB% across 32 innings of work. For his part, Leahy owns a 4.03 ERA across 28 appearances at Triple-A, 25 of which have come out of the bullpen.
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore is scheduled to take the ball for the series finale in London on Sunday Originally, Jack Flaherty was scheduled to pitch, but he has been scratched due to hip tightness. That being said, Liberatore will take the ball against the red-hot Cubbies. The 23-year-old has struggled heavily during his six appearances with the Cardinals this season. He holds a 6.12 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and an 18/12 K/BB ratio across 25 innings. Fantasy managers should look elsewhere for a streaming option on Sunday.
Matthew Liberatore
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Cardinals
