St. Louis Cardinals News

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Richard Fitts • SP • Cardinals

Richard Fitts Undergoes Season-Ending Lat Surgery

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Richard Fitts (lat) underwent season-ending surgery to address the right-lat strain that put him on the injured list in the minor leagues recently, president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom told Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Fitts is expected to be fine in the long-term, but he'll obviously miss the rest of this year and can be dropped in any single-year fantasy leagues. The 26-year-old made his MLB debut with the Boston Red Sox in 2024 and went 2-5 with a 3.97 ERA (5.02 FIP) and 1.29 WHIP with 49 strikeouts and 23 walks in 65 2/3 innings in 15 appearances (14 starts) in 2024 and 2025 in Beantown. Depending on how Fitts' rehab goes, there's the potential for him to be delayed early in the 2027 season, too. He came to St. Louis in the trade that sent veteran righty Sonny Gray to Boston. Fitts, who probably needs to add to his fastball/slider arsenal, is probably a back-end starter for St. Louis down the road, at best.

2 days ago

Matthew Liberatore • SP • Cardinals

Matthew Liberatore Stumbles Again, Entering Drop Territory?

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore allowed four earned runs on six hits and three walks while striking out just two in five innings of work in his latest start on Monday, taking the loss in the 9-3 defeat at the hands of the Guardians. It is the second straight start in which the southpaw yielded four earned runs after allowing just two earned runs combined in his first two starts of the season. The outing pushed the 6-foot-4 hurler's ERA to 4.29 (6.26 FIP) with a 1.57 WHIP and a paltry 4.3 percent K-BB% in 21 innings pitched. Last season's final numbers looked similar to his career rates, with a 4.21 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and a 7.24 K/9, and there is nothing to indicate he'll outperform that this season. If he were racking up the strikeouts, fantasy managers might be able to live with the high ERA and WHIP, but in the absence of that, there is little reason to hold on to the former first-rounder except in perhaps very deep leagues where pitching is scarce.

5 days ago

JJ Wetherholt • SS • Cardinals

JJ Wetherholt Goes Yard Twice in Win Over Guardians

St. Louis Cardinals rookie second baseman JJ Wetherholt had a big game for the Cards out of the leadoff spot in the team's 6-5 win on Tuesday at Busch Stadium over the Cleveland Guardians, going 2-for-4 with two home runs, three RBI, and one strikeout. Both of Wetherholt's home runs on Tuesday's came off southpaws, and it was the first multi-homer game of the 23-year-old's career. The home runs were his first since he went deep on Opening Day in his big-league debut. Wetherholt is now hitting .231/.338/.385 with a .722 OPS, three home runs, eight RBI, 13 runs scored, three stolen bases, 10 walks, and 14 strikeouts in his first 17 major-league games. The No. 7 overall pick back in 2024 doesn't have any obvious weaknesses as a prospect and could access 15-homer power in his first MLB season in 2026 if he stays healthy all year. Wetherholt is rostered in 87% of Yahoo leagues and will continue to have plenty of fantasy value if he's hitting at the top of St. Louis' batting order.

5 days ago

Richard Fitts • SP • Cardinals

Richard Fitts Goes on Minor-League Injured List

The St. Louis Cardinals announced on Monday that right-hander Richard Fitts (lat) was placed on the seven-day injured list at Triple-A Memphis with a right-lat strain. Fitts was acquired by the Cardinals in the offseason from the Boston Red Sox, but he has yet to appear at the big-league level in 2026. The 26-year-old was looking good early on at Memphis before his lat injury, going 2-0 with a 1.76 ERA and 1.24 WHIP with 11 strikeouts and six walks in 15 1/3 innings over three starts. It's a tough break for Fitts as he seeks to get back to the big leagues, and it's uncertain how long he'll be out. The former sixth-round pick of the New York Yankees in 2021 out of Auburn has a 3.97 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 49 strikeouts, and 23 walks in 15 outings (14 starts) in his first two major-league seasons with the Red Sox. Fitts currently isn't rostered in any Yahoo fantasy baseball leagues.

6 days ago

Masyn Winn • SS • Cardinals

Masyn Winn Sitting Out Another Contest

St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn (shin) was hopeful that he'd be back in the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the visiting Boston Red Sox, but he will be held out as a precaution with a shin injury, according to MLB.com. Thomas Saggese will make the start at the 6 for St. Louis and will hit seventh against Red Sox left-hander Ranger Suarez. Winn was pulled from Friday's series opener against Boston after he was hit by a pitch in his left shin. It doesn't sound like a very serious injury, so Winn should be ready to play in Sunday's series finale at Busch Stadium against the BoSox. Perhaps the day of rest will be good for Winn, who has really struggled at the plate in his first 39 at-bats in 2026. Winn is hitting just .154 (six hits) with no homers, an RBI, five runs scored, two stolen bases, six walks, and eight strikeouts. Saggese will be a low-upside DFS play near the bottom of the batting order on Saturday against a pitcher whom he has never faced.

Apr 11

Masyn Winn • SS • Cardinals

Masyn Winn Believes he Will Return on Saturday

St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn (leg) is optimistic that he will play on Saturday despite his early departure in Friday night's contest due to a leg injury. The 24-year-old was hit by a pitch on his left leg and forced to leave the game with a contusion. The young shortstop is off to a slow start to the season, recording just six hits over 39 at-bats. He says that he feels better today, and the hope is that he can suit up for action and improve on what's been a tough 2026 so far at the plate. If he cannot, Thomas Saggese will likely get the nod, as it was he who replaced Winn last night.

Apr 11

Jordan Walker • RF • Cardinals

Jordan Walker Showing Off Power, Can it Continue?

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker is showing off his power stroke as the 2026 season gets underway, with the former first-round draft pick hitting four home runs in his last five contests. Through all 12 games he's played, the 6-foot-6 slugger is slashing .295/.367/.682 with five home runs, 12 RBI, 10 runs scored, and one steal, good for a .458 wOBA and 192 wRC+. A high 28.6 percent strikeout rate might give some fantasy managers pause, but it's actually an improvement over last season's 31.8 percent rate, as are his contact and chase rates. The 23-year-old's xBA is near his batting average, too, sitting at .305, and there is no abnormally high BABIP (.320 vs. career .310), so there are no major signs of regression around the corner. Hopefully the former top prospect can keep it up, and he's still available in over 30 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Apr 10

Riley O'Brien • RP • Cardinals

Riley O'Brien the Top Target for Saves on the Waiver Wire

St. Louis Cardinals closer Riley O'Brien is off to an impressive start to the season, having not allowed an earned run yet through seven appearances. The right-hander has yielded just four hits and has yet to walk a batter as well, while striking out seven in 7 1/3 innings of work, tallying three saves along the way. The 31-year-old showed well last season, too, posting a 2.06 ERA and 1.15 WHIP while converting six saves and six holds in 48 innings pitched. Despite the sterling results this year, the 6-foot-4 hurler is still available in over half of Yahoo! leagues. That number should be higher for a reliever having so much success and who does not currently have competition for the closer role.

Apr 10

Joshua Báez • RF • Cardinals

Joshua Baez Remains Priority Stash Target Among Outfield Prospects

St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Joshua Baez remains a top stash option in the early part of the fantasy baseball season. Baez nearly made the Opening Day roster out of spring training after he launched three home runs over a 10-game stint with a .333/.417/1.179 slash line. However, even with Lars Nootbaar (heel) on the shelf, the Cardinals opted to keep Baez in the minor leagues to continue his development. He was sent to Triple-A to make his Memphis debut to begin the new season. Through his first nine games at the top level, Baez has held a .222/.317/.306 line with three doubles and three stolen bases. While he has yet to go deep in the young season, Baez flashed high-end power and speed upside in 2025. Over 117 shared between High-A and Double-A last summer, Baez hit 20 home runs and stole 54 bases while holding a .287 AVG. Given that St. Louis lacks much depth in their current outfield, Baez remains a top stash option in all 12+ team leagues.

Apr 10

George Soriano • RP • Cardinals

George Soriano an Option for Saves in St. Louis?

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold believes that St. Louis Cardinals right-handed reliever George Soriano could be considered for high-leverage work at the back of the team's bullpen going forward. Soriano set down all six batters he faced (three strikeouts) in the last two innings on Tuesday to earn his first win over the Washington Nationals in the team's extra-inning victory. The 27-year-old Dominican is in his first year with the Cardinals after posting a 5.95 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, three saves, 117 strikeouts, and 55 walks in 118 innings pitched for the Miami Marlins in his first three major-league seasons. Riley O'Brien is locked in as St. Louis' closer, but don't be surprised if Soriano starts seeing more high-leverage setup work for the Red Birds alongside JoJo Romero and Ryne Stanek. Soriano has allowed two earned runs while walking three and striking out three so far in his six innings of work out of the bullpen in St. Louis. He's a name to monitor in holds leagues.

Apr 9

Hunter Dobbins • SP • Cardinals |

Hunter Dobbins • C • Tigers

Hunter Dobbins Looks Good in Rehab Start at Triple-A

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Hunter Dobbins (knee) allowed just an earned run on five hits while walking one and striking out seven in 5 1/3 innings pitched in a minor-league rehab start for Triple-A Memphis on Tuesday. He threw 62 of his 91 pitches for strikes. Dobbins was not ready to make his Cardinals debut to start the 2026 season while recovering from ACL surgery, but after throwing 91 pitches on Tuesday, he should be close to being activated from the 15-day injured list. So far on his rehab assignment, Dobbins has given up four runs with three walks and 10 strikeouts in 10 1/3 innings pitched. When cleared, Dobbins should immediately join St. Louis' starting rotation in the big leagues. The 26-year-old isn't a dominant arm and had a modest 17.6% strikeout rate with the Red Sox in his big-league debut in 2025, which will limit his fantasy appeal to mainly deep-mixed and NL-only leagues when he joins the Red Birds.

Apr 8

Riley O'Brien • RP • Cardinals

Is Riley O'Brien Taking Control of the Closer Job?

St. Louis Cardinals right-handed reliever Riley O'Brien picked up his second save on Sunday night, helping the Cardinals secure the 5-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers and avoid getting swept over the weekend. The Cardinals' bullpen has been a bit of a mystery box to start the season, with O'Brien, JoJo Romero, Ryne Stanek, and Matt Svanson all rumored at one point either during Spring Training or to start the season to be the Cardinals' most likely closer. O'Brien appears to have taken the front seat in that race, with two saves on the season and 5 1/3 shutout innings, a 0.75 WHIP, and five strikeouts. The 31-year-old pitcher closed six games for the Cardinals in 2025, but outside of that, he has not had much experience closing, so if he truly has taken over, fantasy managers should expect the leash to be fairly short. For leagues that prioritize saves, O'Brien would be a strong pickup to see if he retains the closer job and earns some more opportunities in the meantime.

Apr 6

Jordan Walker • RF • Cardinals

Jordan Walker Breaking Out Early; Must-Add Waiver Target Emerging

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker has enjoyed an early breakout in the 2026 season, emerging as a must-add waiver wire target with significant upside. The 23-year-old has already recorded two three-hit games along with two home runs, and is slashing .300/.382/.567 in nine games. Walker has always been a power threat, but he has displayed a major uptick in barrel percentage from 6.6% last year to 13.3% this year. He has cut down on strikeouts and taken more walks, all positive signs for the young talent in a limited sample size. These early underlying metrics point to extremely high potential for a breakout year, and fantasy managers should add Walker as soon as possible.

Apr 5

Masyn Winn • SS • Cardinals

Masyn Winn Out of Saturday's Lineup

St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn (hip) is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game on the road in Detroit against the Tigers, according to MLB.com. Winn was forced from Friday's game against the Tigers early due to left-hip tightness that he said originated from when he was taking batting practice earlier this week. It doesn't appear to be a very serious injury for the 24-year-old, though, so it's possible that Winn could return to the starting lineup for the Red Birds for Sunday's series finale. With Winn out on Saturday, Thomas Saggese will start at the 6 and will hit sixth against Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty. Saggese has never faced Flaherty in his young MLB career. Winn's hip injury will make it more difficult for the shortstop to get out of his early-season, small-sample-size slump, as he's started the 2026 season by going 5-for-28 (.179) with two doubles, an RBI, a steal, two walks, and five strikeouts in seven games played. Check back on Sunday to see if Winn is feeling good enough to return to action.

Apr 4

Masyn Winn • SS • Cardinals

Masyn Winn Leaves Early on Friday With Hip Tightness

St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn (hip) left Friday's game early against the Detroit Tigers due to left-hip tightness, according to Jeff Jones of the Belleville News. Winn said that he injured his hip initially while taking batting practice on Tuesday, and he was eventually lifted for a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning on Friday. The 24-year-old is day-to-day for now and isn't expected to play in Saturday's game, although he could be back for the series finale against the Tigers on Sunday. Before departing on Friday, Winn went 1-for-3 out of the leadoff spot for St. Louis in the eventual 4-0 loss. The Cardinals may slide infield prospect JJ Wetherholt over to the 6 on Saturday while Winn recovers from his hip injury. Now injured, Winn has been quiet in the early going so far in 2026, going 4-for-25 (.160) with two doubles, an RBI, two runs scored, two walks, and five strikeouts in six games played. Hopefully, his hip injury isn't all that serious, and he just misses one game this weekend.

Apr 3

Joshua Báez • RF • Cardinals

Joshua Baez Holding his Own During First Taste of Triple-A, Holds Solid Stash Upside

St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Joshua Baez was in the mix to break camp with the MLB roster but ultimately fell short in the competition. He was instead optioned to Triple-A Memphis to begin the 2026 regular season. Over his first five games at the top level of the minor leagues, the former 54th overall selection has gone 6-for-22 with two doubles and a stolen base. Last summer, Baez held his own over 117 games shared between High-A and Double-A. During this combined stretch, the No. 87-ranked prospect in the sport (per MLB.com), held a strong .287/.384/.500 line with 20 home runs and an impressive 54 stolen bases. Currently, St. Louis is relying on Nathan Church and Jordan Walker in their corner outfield spots while Lars Nootbaar (heel) remains on the 60-day IL. If either struggles for a longer period, Baez will likely get the call. He is worth stashing in deeper five-outfielder leagues given his high-end five-category skill set.

Apr 3

Masyn Winn • SS • Cardinals

Masyn Winn Is "OK" After Single-Car Accident

St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn was involved in a single-car accident on Wednesday after the team's walk-off win against the Mets. Winn had the game-winning hit and is 4-for-25 (.160) with two doubles, two walks, and a stolen base in his first six games. The team said the accident was a result of wet pavement and that Winn was alone in his car. He was examined at a nearby hospital and did not suffer any serious injuries. The Cardinals have an off-day on Thursday and are back in action on Friday as they head to Detroit and Washington for a six-game road trip. It doesn't seem like Winn will miss any significant time, but if he needs any time off, Ram n Ur as and Jos Ferm n would be the leading candidates to pick up extra work.

Apr 2

Ryne Stanek • RP • Cardinals

Ryne Stanek Demoted to Seventh-Inning Role on Tuesday

St. Louis Cardinals reliever Ryne Stanek was used earlier than expected in Tuesday's 3-0 win against the New York Mets. The 34-year-old worked a clean seventh inning, allowing one walk and recording one strikeout. The outing followed a blown save Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays in his second opportunity of the season. Stanek will look to build on this performance and regain his manager's trust in high-leverage situations. The 10-year veteran is in his first season with St. Louis and has posted a 2.70 ERA across 3 1/3 innings this year.

Apr 1

Riley O'Brien • RP • Cardinals

Riley O'Brien Earns Save for Cardinals

St. Louis Cardinals reliever Riley O'Brien picked up his first save of the season Tuesday against the New York Mets, tossing one hitless inning to close out the win. The right-hander has now appeared in three games, logging 3 1/3 innings with two strikeouts, three hits allowed, and zero earned runs. O'Brien is building on last season's breakout, when he posted a 2.06 ERA and 0.90 WHIP across 48 innings. His early usage in high-leverage spots suggests growing trust from the coaching staff. If this trend continues, he could carve out a steady role in late-game situations for St. Louis.

Apr 1

JJ Wetherholt • SS • Cardinals

Cardinals Looking to Sign JJ Wetherholt to Long-Term Extension

The St. Louis Cardinals are trying to sign second baseman JJ Wetherholt to a long-term extension, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The 23-year-old Wetherholt entered camp as one of the top prospects in all of baseball and was named the Cardinals' Opening Day second baseman coming out of Spring Training. Through his first 19 plate appearances in the big leagues entering play on Tuesday night, Wetherholt had hit .250/.316/.438 with one home run, four RBI, three runs scored, and one stolen base while striking out just once. St. Louis may be forced to pay up to get Wetherholt to agree to terms, given the massive eight-year extension the Seattle Mariners recently gave to infield prospect Colt Emerson, who has yet to even make his MLB debut. Whether or not a deal eventually gets done, it's not surprising to see St. Louis make a bid to lock down one of their core position players for the long term.

Mar 31

St. Louis Cardinals News

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