St. Louis Cardinals News

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Nathan Church • LF • Cardinals

Nathan Church Leaves Early After Being Hit by a Pitch

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Nathan Church (leg) was pulled from Wednesday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers in the top of the fourth inning after being hit by a pitch earlier in the game on his left leg, according to Jeff Jones of the Belleville News. Brewers right-hander Brandon Sproat hit Church in the left shin with a pitch in the second inning, and he had to come out of the ballgame a bit later. For now, we'll consider the left-handed-hitting outfielder as day-to-day. Church was replaced in left field by Jose Fermin. The 25-year-old came into play on Wednesday with a .248/.278/.436 slash line, .713 OPS, five home runs, 16 RBI, 14 runs scored, and three stolen bases in 101 at-bats. He came into Wednesday's action riding a five-game hitting streak in which he's gone 6-for-21 (.286) with three doubles, three RBI, and two runs scored. Check back to see if Church is available for the Cardinals' series opener on Thursday night on the road at Petco Park against the San Diego Padres. UPDATE: Church was diagnosed with a left-leg contusion.

4 days ago

Joshua Báez • RF • Cardinals

Is Joshua Baez Nearing his MLB Debut?

St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Joshua Baez has flashed his raw power at Triple-A and could be slowly progressing toward his MLB debut. The Cardinals gave Baez an opportunity to break camp in spring training, despite not logging a single at-bat with the Triple-A club, but he was unable to claim a starting role. Last summer, Baez spent most of his time with Double-A Springfield, where he posted a .271/.374/.509 line with 16 home runs and 34 stolen bases. Through his first 23 contests at the Triple-A level, Baez has gone deep six times and swiped five bags. However, he posted a modest .236 AVG. Fantasy managers should continue to keep an eye on his production as he could emerge as an elite stash option given his five-category upside. While the Cardinals' outfield appears full at the moment, Baez is worth stashing in deep 12+ team leagues, as he could become an immediate fantasy option given his rotisserie skill set once he earns the call.

Apr 29

Masyn Winn • SS • Cardinals

Masyn Winn Receiving "Preventative Care" for Back Issue

St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn (back) has continued to "undergo preventative care" for a lower-back issue that dates back to last year, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Winn dealt with back spasms in 2025 and has already had hip and shin injuries this season. There's no current injury that fantasy managers should be worried about, but it's a situation to monitor, and it could mean that the Cardinals will give Winn more regular days off in the future. Goold mentions that the team is "seeking ways for him to reduce mileage." The 24-year-old former second-rounder in 2020 didn't look great initially to open the 2026 campaign, but he's heating up of late and appears to be locked in at the plate. Overall, Winn is slashing .257/.354/.400 with a .754 OPS, a homer, nine RBI, 11 runs scored, and three steals in 70 at-bats. He's currently riding an eight-game hitting streak in which he's gone 12-for-31 (.387) with a homer, three doubles, a triple, eight RBI, six runs, and a steal. Keep Winn locked into starting lineups where he's rostered.

Apr 23

Nathan Church • LF • Cardinals

Nathan Church Heating Up, Worth a Waiver-Wire Pickup?

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Nathan Church had another hit on Wednesday in the team's 4-1 loss to the hosting Miami Marlins, and he's now gone 8-for-20 with a double, home run, three RBI, four runs scored, and three steals in the last six games to boost his season average to .236 and his OPS to .659. He now has two home runs, eight RBI, nine runs scored, three stolen bases, three walks, and 15 strikeouts in 21 games played in the early going of his first full major-league season. The 25-year-old former 11th-round selection out of UC Irving in 2022 went 10-for-56 (.179) with a homer, eight RBI, and nine runs scored in just 27 games in his major-league debut with the Red Birds in 2025. Because Church has yet to face a left-handed pitcher, his fantasy value in mixed leagues is limited. However, if Church continues to hit, he could see his role increase in St. Louis' outfield. Right now in Yahoo leagues, Church is only rostered in 1% of leagues.

Apr 22

Hunter Dobbins • SP • Cardinals |

Hunter Dobbins • C • Tigers

Hunter Dobbins' Season Debut With Cardinals is on the Horizon

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Hunter Dobbins (knee), who is currently on the 15-day injured list after recovering from ACL surgery last year, is expected to join the team's six-man starting rotation during the stretch of 17 games without an off day that begins this Friday, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Dobbins could be cleared to be reinstated from the IL next week to face the Pittsburgh Pirates if he gets through his final minor-league rehab start this Saturday at Triple-A Memphis without any setbacks with his surgically-repaired knee. The Cardinals acquired Dobbins in the offseason in the trade that sent first baseman Willson Contreras to the Boston Red Sox. The 26-year-old former eighth-rounder by Boston in 2021 out of Texas Tech is not rostered at all in any Yahoo leagues. Dobbins made his big-league debut in 2025 in Beantown, going 4-1 with a 4.13 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 45 strikeouts, and 17 walks in 61 innings over 13 appearances (11 starts).

Apr 22

Riley O'Brien • RP • Cardinals

Riley O'Brien Extends Dominant Start, Earns Seventh Save

St. Louis Cardinals right-handed closer Riley O'Brien has been as dominant as they come among relief pitchers early in the 2026 season. O'Brien had another scoreless appearance while giving up one hit and striking out one to earn his seventh save of the year on Tuesday in the team's 5-3 win over the hosting Miami Marlins. The 31-year-old veteran has yet to allow an earned run in his 13 1/3 innings of work so far with no walks and 15 strikeouts. He hit 100 mph three times out of his 17 pitches on Tuesday and has converted seven of his eight save chances for the Cardinals. In addition to his seven saves, O'Brien has picked up three wins and two holds, giving his fantasy managers plenty to be happy about. It's clear that O'Brien has taken hold of the team's closer gig in the ninth inning, and he should have a pretty long leash. He's only rostered in 82% of Yahoo leagues currently, but that number should rise if he continues to be dominant in the ninth.

Apr 22

Joshua Báez • RF • Cardinals

Is Joshua Baez Still Worthy of Stashing Amid Slump at Triple-A?

St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect Joshua Baez belted 20 home runs and stole 59 bases between High-A and Double-A a season ago, posting better-than-average strikeout and walk rates along the way, then parlayed that into a successful 2026 Grapefruit League showing that was capped off with home runs in three consecutive games. However, after a solid start to his season at Triple-A Memphis, the former second-round draft pick has been mired in a week-long slump, going 3-for-22 (.136) with nine strikeouts in his last seven games. For the season, the right-handed hitter is slashing .206/.308/.397 with three home runs and five steals. Concerningly, after striking out six times in his first 37 plate appearances for the Redbirds (16.2 percent), the 22-year-old has tallied 18 strikeouts in his last 41 plate appearances (43.9 percent). The 6-foot-3 slugger will likely make his MLB debut at some point this season, but the team will want to see him right the ship before penciling him into the big league lineup, so for now, he's no longer a high-priority stash.

Apr 21

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.

Apr 17

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.

Apr 15

JJ Wetherholt • 2B • 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.

Apr 15

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.

Apr 14

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

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