photo: Bruce Zimmermann (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 1-4 on Wednesday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Memphis’ Bruce Zimmermann, pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts. Other standouts include Hancel Rincon, Bligh Madris, Ryan Campos and Jonathan Mejía.
Results for games played on Wednesday, April 29, 2026.
They added a run in the fifth to make it 3-0. Colton Ledbetter walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Madris walked. Matt Koperniak singled. Ledbetter scored on a sac fly by Bryan Torres.
The offense scored three runs on four hits. Madris had two RBI. Ledbetter scored two runs. Madris’ home run was the only extra base hit.
The Redbirds were shut out by the Indians in the second game of the twin bill on Tuesday. Spot starter Hancel Rincon pitched four scoreless innings, allowed three hits and fanned five.
St. Louis rehabber Matt Pushard relieved Rincon and surrendered five runs, three earned, in the fifth and took the loss. Chris Roycroft yielded one run in 2/3 of an inning. Luis Gastelum secured the final out of the sixth. Jared Shuster relinquished three runs in the seventh.
The game was scoreless until Indianapolis plated five runs in the fifth. They added one run in the sixth and three in the seventh to win 9-0.
Memphis managed only two hits, singles by Jimmy Crooks and Bryan Torres. The offense was 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and left four men on base.
Crooks stole his first base of the season. Brody Moore swiped his fourth bag. Pushard and Crooks each made a throwing error.
Memphis is 19-10 on the season.
Thursday’s game: vs. Indianapolis, LHP Brycen Mautz (0-1, 2.95) vs. Thomas Harrington RHP (0-3, 4.57) 6:45 CT.
Austin Love relieved Davis and surrendered two runs, one earned, in one inning and took the loss. Randel Clemente tossed the final 2/3 of a scoreless inning.
Springfield took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Jon Jon Gazdar reached on an error. Noah Mendlinger walked. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Miguel Ugueto singled to plate Gazdar. Ugueto stole second base. Mendlinger scored on a ground out by Ryan Campos.
NW Arkansas cut the lead to 2-1 in the second. They tied the game in the third and in the sixth, the Naturals put up two runs to take a 4-2 lead.
The Cardinals offense scored two runs on five hits. Travis Honeyman was 2-for-3.
Ugueto stole his 14th base of the season. Gazdar was picked off first base.
Dakota Harris made a fielding error. Campos was charged with catcher interference.
The Cardinals were swept by the Naturals by identical 4-2 scores in Tuesday’s doubleheader. Starter Mason Molina pitched 4 2/3 innings, gave up three runs on four hits, walked one and fanned six. Molina took the loss.
Darlin Saladin relieved Molina and surrendered one run in 1 1/3 innings.
NW Arkansas took a 2-0 lead in the second and made it 3-0 in the fifth.
Springfield got on the board with two runs in the sixth to cut the lead to 3-2. Jon Jon Gazdar was hit by a pitch. Noah Mendlinger singled. Both runners advanced on a ground out by Chase Davis. Ryan Campos plated Gazdar and Mendlinger on a single.
The Cardinals scored two runs on two hits. Campos had two RBI.
Travis Honeyman stole his ninth base of 2026.
Springfield is 7-16 on the season.
Thursday’s game: at NW Arkansas, Chen-Wei Lin RHP (1-1, 3.86) vs. Drew Beam RHP (0-3, 5.40) 7:05 CT.
Peoria at Great Lakes (postponed)
This game was postponed due to rain in the area. It will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Thursday, April 30.
Peoria is 10-11 on the season.
Thursday’s games: at Great Lakes, Leonel Sequera RHP (1-2, 6.86) vs. Brooks Auger RHP (0-0, 0.00) and Blake Aita RHP (0-1, 4.60) vs. Sterling Patrick LHP (0-1, 3.57). First game at 5:05 CT.
The Class-A Cardinals lost to the Threshers by an 11-6 score at Roger Dean Stadium on Tuesday. Starter Jack Martinez pitched 2 2/3 innings, gave up six runs, three earned, on five hits, walked three and fanned four. Martinez took the loss.
Antoni Cuello relieved Martinez and threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Justin Militello surrendered one run in two innings. Dylan Driessen yielded four runs in just 2/3 of an inning. Robbie Knowles tossed the final 1 1/3 scoreless frames.
Clearwater went up 3-0 in the second inning. Palm Beach answered with a run in the home second. Yordalin Peña singled and stole second base. Christian Martin singled. Peña scored on a passed ball.
The Threshers added three runs in the third to extend their lead to 6-1.
In the fifth, the Beach Birds added a run. Ryan Mitchell walked and stole second base. Ryan Weingartner singled. Mitchell scored on a double play by Jack Gurevitch.
Clearwater Increased their lead 7-2 in the top of the seventh. The Cardinals rallied for two runs in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead to 7-4. Luis Pino, Mitchell and Weingartner walked. Jonathan Mejía doubled to plate Pino and Mitchell.
The Threshers posted a four-run eighth inning to lead, 11-4. Palm Beach made a final push with two runs in the ninth to bring the final score to 11-6. Pino walked. Weingartner singled and advanced to second on defensive indifference. Mejia singled to score Pino and Weingartner.
The Cardinals scored six runs on eight hits. Mejía was 2-for-5 with four RBI. Weingartner was 2-for-4. Pino and Mitchell each scored two runs.
Peña stole his third base of the season. Mitchell swiped his fifth bag. Gurevitch was picked off and caught stealing.
Mejía made a fielding error and a missed catch error.
The Cardinals are 15-8 on the season.
Thursday’s game: vs. Clearwater, RHP Jacob Odle (1-1, 3.14) vs. Brad Pacheco RHP (1-1, 3.60) 5:30 CT.
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photo: Tai Peete (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 0-2 on Tuesday as Memphis and Springfield were postponed. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Peoria CF Tai Peete, was 2-for-5 with three RBI. Other standouts include Josh Kross, Anyelo Encarnacíon, Jack Gurevitch and Jake Shelagowski.
Results for games played on Tuesday, April 28, 2026.
Memphis vs. Indianapolis (postponed)
Tuesday’s Triple-A game was postponed due to rain in the area. The game will be played as part of a doubleheader on Wednesday, April 29.
Memphis is 18-9 on the season.
Wednesday’s games: vs. Indianapolis, LHP Brycen Mautz (0-1, 2.95) vs. Antwone Kelly RHP (1-3, 7.00) 12:05 CT (game one); vs. Indianapolis, Bruce Zimmermann LHP (2-0, 3.96) vs. TBD (IND) (game two).
Springfield at NW Arkansas (postponed)
The Double-A game was postponed due to rain in the area. It will be played as part of a doubleheader on Wednesday, April 29.
Springfield is 7-14 on the season.
Wednesday’s games: at NW Arkansas, LHP Braden Davis (0-2, 6.88) vs. Felix Arronde (0-1, 8.31) 4:45 CT (game one); at NW Arkansas, LHP Mason Molina vs. TBD (game two).
The High-A Chiefs were pounded by the Great Lakes Loons in an 11-4 rout on Tuesday. The 18 hits allowed by Peoria pitchers is a season high.
Starter Tanner Franklin pitched 2 1/3 innings, gave up five runs on eight hits, walked one and struck out three. Franklin took the loss.
Christian Worley relieved Franklin and threw 2/3 of a scoreless inning. Jawilme Ramírez surrendered three runs, two earned, in two innings. Zack Showalter yielded two runs in the sixth. In his Chiefs debut, Patrick Galle threw a scoreless seventh. Gerardo Salas relinquished one run in the eighth.
The Loons took a 4-0 lead in the first. The Chiefs answered with two runs in the second to cut the lead to 4-2. Cade McGee walked. José Suárez and Anyelo Encarnacíon singled to load the bags. Tai Peete plated McGee and Suárez on a single.
Great Lakes answered with a run in the home third to extend the lead to 5-3.
The Chiefs made it close again in the top of the fourth. Encarnacion doubled and scored on a single by Peete. The Loons again answered with two runs in the home fourth to increase the lead to 7-4.
Great Lakes added a run in the fifth, two in the sixth and one in the eighth, pulling away to an 11-4 win.
The Chiefs scored four runs on seven hits. Peete was 2-for-5 with three RBI. Encarnacíon was 2-for-2.
Jesús Báez stole his fourth base of the season. Peete swiped his third bag. Miguel Villarroel was picked off and caught stealing.
Jalin Flores made a throwing error. Peete had an outfield assist at home plate. Franklin picked a runner off second base.
Peoria is 10-11 on the season.
Wednesday’s game: at Great Lakes, Blake Aita RHP (0-1, 4.60) vs. Jakob Wright LHP (0-0, 5.59) 5:05 CT.
The Low-A Cardinals fell to the Clearwater Threshers by a 7-3 score at Roger Dean Stadium on Tuesday. Starter Cade Crossland pitched three innings, gave up seven runs on four hits, walked four and struck out four. Crossland took the loss.
Yadiel Batista relieved Crossland and threw a scoreless fourth. Jake Shelagowski hurled 3 2/3 hitless, scoreless innings with three walks and three strikeouts. In his first action since his return from Springfield, Nelfy Ynfante tossed the final 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Clearwater added a run in the third and four runs in the top of the fourth to extend the lead to 7-1.
Palm Beach made it 7-2 in the home fourth on a solo home run by Jack Gurevitch. In the eighth, the Cardinals tacked on one more run to shrink the lead to 7-3. Cameron Nickens singled. Ryan Mitchell walked. Nickens scored on a single by Gurevitch.
The offense scored three runs on five hits. Gurevitch was 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Mitchell had an outfield assist at second base.
The Cardinals are 15-7 on the season.
Wednesday’s game: vs. Clearwater, TBD vs. TBD 5:30 CT.
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The St. Louis Cardinals struggled to a 1-5 week including a sweep by Seattle. After heavy use, the bullpen is showing signs of wear with a tougher schedule ahead. Riley O’Brien blew two saves and took a loss. JoJo Romero allowed six runs in 2 1/3 innings. Our history section highlights recent sweeps of the Cardinals.
The St. Louis Cardinals lost to the Miami Marlins in the opener of a three-game series at Loan Depot Park in Miami. Starter Michael McGreevy pitched 5 2/3 innings, gave up four runs on five hits, walked two and struck out three. McGreevy took the loss.
Matt Svanson relieved McGreevy and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Ryan Fernandez surrendered one run in the eighth.
The Cardinals took 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth. Jordan Walker singled, stole second base, and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Nolan Gorman walked. Masyn Winn plated Walker on a sac fly.
The Marlins tied the game in the home fourth, then added a run in the fifth to lead 2-1.
St. Louis scored one run in the top of the sixth to tie the game. Walker drew a walk. Winn singled. Walker came home on a wild pitch.
Miami answered with two runs in the bottom of the sixth and made it 5-2 in the eighth.
The Cardinals’ ninth inning rally fell short with one run scored. Winn tripled and came home on a sac fly by Ramón Urías.
The offense scored three runs on five hits. Winn was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Walker stole his fourth base of the season. Winn swiped his third bag. Victor Scott had an outfield assist at home plate. Walker had an outfield assist at third base.
The Cardinals beat the Marlins in the second game of the series on Tuesday. Starter Dustin May pitched 5 1/3 innings, gave up one run on six hits, walked one and fanned five to earn his third win.
Justin Bruihl relieved May and threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Ryne Stanek surrendered two runs in 2/3 of an inning. George Soriano secured one out. Riley O’Brien tossed a scoreless ninth for his seventh save.
The Cardinals took the lead in the top of the first as JJ Wetherholt doubled and scored on a single by Alec Burleson.
The Marlins tied the game in the home first.
St. Louis regained the lead with a run in the third. Wetherholt walked. Iván Herrera singled. Burleson reached on a fielder’s choice and Wetherholt scored.
The Cardinals added to their lead in the fourth on a two-run home run by Nathan Church. They made it 5-1 in the fifth when Burleson doubled and scored on a single by Nolan Gorman.
Miami rallied for two runs in the eighth to shrink the lead to 5-3.
Burleson and Church were each 2-for-4 with two RBI. Winn was 2-for-4. Herrera was 2-for-5. Wetherholt scored two runs.
Church stole his third base of the season. Victor Scott was caught stealing. Masyn Winn made a throwing error. Jordan Walker had an outfield assist at first base.
The Cardinals lost the final game and the series to the Marlins on Wednesday. Starter Kyle Leahy pitched five innings, gave up four runs on eight hits, walked three and struck out two. Leahy took the loss.
Gordon Graceffo, Matt Svanson and Ryan Fernandez each tossed a scoreless inning.
The Marlins went up 2-0 in the second, then added single runs in the fourth and fifth to lead 4-0.
The Cardinals were held scoreless until the ninth inning, when they avoided the shutout on a solo home run by Iván Herrera.
On Friday, the Cardinals were edged by the Mariners in the first of a three-game series at Busch Stadium. Starter Andre Pallante pitched 5 1/3 innings, gave up three runs on four hits, walked three and fanned eight. Pallante took the loss.
Justin Bruihl relieved Pallante and threw a scoreless inning. George Soriano hurled 2/3 of a scoreless inning. Gordon Graceffo tossed the final two scoreless innings.
Seattle scored single runs in the second and fourth to lead 2-0.
St. Louis answered with two runs in the home fourth to tie the game. Alec Burleson walked but was eliminated on a force out by Jordan Walker. Nolan Gorman hit a ground-rule double. Masyn Winn plated Walker and Gorman on a single.
The Cardinals suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Mariners on Saturday. Starter Matthew Liberatore lasted only 3 1/3 innings, gave up five runs on eight hits, walked one and struck out three.
Gordon Graceffo relieved Liberatore and surrendered one run in 2/3 of an inning. Justin Bruihl threw a scoreless inning. George Soriano yielded one run in the sixth. Ryne Stanek hurled 2/3 of a scoreless inning.
In this contest, the usually reliable back end of the pen failed. JoJo Romero relinquished two runs in 2/3 of an inning. Riley O’Brien yielded two runs in an inning, his first runs allowed in 2026, and took the loss. Matt Svanson secured the final two outs.
The Mariners went ahead 2-0 in the first. The Cardinals tied the game in the bottom of the first on back-to-back solo home runs by JJ Wetherholt and Iván Herrera.
Seattle answered in the top of the second to regain the lead at 4-2. St. Louis made it 4-3 in the home second on a solo home run by Nathan Church.
The Cardinals scored four runs in the third inning to take a 7-4 lead. Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman singled. Masyn Winn singled to score Walker. Gorman came home on a sac fly by Church. Pedro Pagés hit a two-run home run.
The Mariners chipped away with single runs in each of the next three innings to tie the game. The Cardinals answered with two scores in the seventh to take back the lead at 9-7. Winn singled and Church followed with a two-run home run.
The lead was quickly erased as Seattle scored two to tie the game again. In the ninth, the Mariners put up two more runs to take the lead for the last time.
The Cardinals scored nine runs on 14 hits. Church was 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI. Pagés was 3-for-3 including a long ball with two RBI. Winn was 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Wetherholt was 3-for-5 with an RBI.
Pagés stole his second base of the season. Walker was caught stealing.
The Cardinals lost the final game of the series with the Mariners and suffered their first sweep of the 2026 season. Starter Michael McGreevy pitched well, going five innings and giving up one run on five hits, no walks and six strikeouts.
Matt Svanson relieved McGreevy and surrendered one run in the seventh. Ryne Stanek threw a scoreless eighth. JoJo Romero gave up the winning run in the ninth and took the loss.
The Cardinals took the lead in the third inning on a solo home run by JJ Wetherholt. The Mariners tied the game in the fourth.
St. Louis regained the lead in the sixth on a solo home run by Nathan Church. Seattle tied the game again in the seventh.
The Mariners scored a run in the ninth to lead 3-2 and the Cardinals failed to answer.
The offense scored two runs on seven hits. Church was 2-for-4 including a home run.
Victor Scott had an outfield assist at second base.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals had a terrible week, finishing 1-5. They lost two of three with the Marlins and were swept by the Mariners at home. The Cardinals are 14-13 and are tied with the Brewers for last place in the NL Central.
Despite the losing record, the Cardinals have had some good offensive performances for the week by OPS. They include Nathan Church (1.482), Pedro Pagés (1.155), Iván Herrera (1.129) and Masyn Winn (.931). Just below that is JJ Wetherholt (.816).
At the bottom are Victor Scott (.192), José Fermín (.222), Alec Burleson (.293), and Ramón Urías (.331). This is the first time this season Alec Burleson has had this low of an offensive performance by a regular in the lineup. Fermín and Urías are essentially bench players, though Urías plays more often than most.
The poor performance of the pitching is a broken record, but this past week it did not come from the usual suspects. Matthew Liberatore had his worst start so far, and the usual stalwarts in the bullpen, JoJo Romero, and Riley O’Brien did not pitch well either.
The closer blew two of three save opportunities, went 1-1 and had a 5.40 ERA. Romero also took a loss and yielded six runs in 2 1/3 innings.
The bullpen has been taxed, which perhaps is the reason. However, it is a shared responsibility as the starters are not going deep into games, which puts more pressure on the relievers. However, there is no relief in sight for the pen and the team is playing 17 games with no break. Hold on to your hats Cardinals fans, it could get ugly (more so than it has been already).
A six-man rotation looks to be the plan through this stretch of games. Hunter Dobbins has pitched four rehab starts in Memphis and appears ready to join the Cardinals, which he will do on Thursday in Pittsburgh.
The Cardinals go on the road briefly for four games in Pittsburgh, and the Pirates have been playing well. The team will come back right after Pittsburgh to play the Dodgers and Brewers. It is not going to get easier any time soon.
Stay tuned as the season progresses.
NL Central Standings
Team
W
L
Pct
GB
Cincinnati
18
10
0.643
Chicago
17
11
0.607
1
Pittsburgh
16
12
0.571
2
Milwaukee
14
13
0.519
3.5
St. Louis
14
13
0.519
3.5
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
OF Lars Nootbaar (heel surgery) will continue his rehab for his Haglund’s Deformities surgery on both heels. Nootbaar was placed on the 60-day injured list on March 25. According to Derrick Goold of the Post Dispatch, the plan is for Nootbaar to return to the roster when he is first eligible on May 24, 2026.
RHP Hunter Dobbins was placed on the 15-day injured list on March 25, retroactive to March 22. Dobbins was sent on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds on March 31. Dobbins made his most recent rehab start on Thursday, April 23 and is scheduled to make his first start with St. Louis one week later, on Thursday, April 30.
LHP Matt Pushard was placed on the 15-day injured list on March 31 retroactive to March 30 due to right knee patellar tendinitis. Pushard is on a rehab assignment with the Memphis Redbirds and has made four relief appearances to date.
C Pedro Pages left Saturday’s game with a hamstring injury. It was determined to be mild with Pages expecting to return to action in Pittsburgh after sitting out on Sunday.
Looking Ahead
The Cardinals leave for Pittsburgh for a four-game series with the Pirates Monday through Thursday. Starters are scheduled to be Dustin May, Kyle Leahy, Andre Pallante and Hunter Dobbins.
These will be the first games against a National League Central Division opponent for the Cardinals, a month into the 2026 schedule.
The team returns to St. Louis to begin May with a weekend series against the Dodgers. The homestand will continue with three against the Brewers.
The team follows the homestand with a six-game road trip in California that includes three at the Padres and three with the Athletics in Sacramento.
The Cardinals will return from the West Coast for a six-game homestand with the Royals and the Pirates.
Blast from the Past
The Cardinals were swept in three games by the Seattle Mariners over the weekend in Busch Stadium. The series did not include former Cardinal Brendan Donovan, who is on the injured list and did not travel to St. Louis.
The Cardinals lost two of the three games by the score of 3-2, on Friday and Sunday. They fell 11-9 on Saturday. They will play the Pirates in Pittsburgh for the next four games (this becomes relevant below).
Though historical data on sweeps of the Cardinals are difficult to come by, some information can be gleaned from an online search of notable sweeps of the Cardinals in recent years. Here some “sweep facts” on the Cardinals in recent seasons.
The Cardinals were swept by the Mariners in 2025 in Seattle in three games on September 8-10. The scores were 4-2, 5-2, 4-2. Like last year, this year’s sweep included two losses by the same score.
The Cardinals were swept by the Pittsburgh Pirates in three games from June 20-July 2, 2025 while not scoring a run in 27 innings. The Cardinals face the Pirates for the first time in 2026 in a four-game series starting on Monday.
The New York Mets swept the Cardinals in four games from April 17-20, 2025. It was the first time that the Mets swept the Cardinals in a four-game series in their home ballpark.
The Cincinnati Reds swept the Cardinals in four games on June 3-6, 2021 at Busch Stadium. It was the first time the Cardinals were swept by the Reds in a four-game series in St. Louis since 1990.
The Cardinals have suffered several postseason sweeps. Here are a few:
2004 World Series – The Cardinals were swept in four games by the Boston Red Sox
2009 NLDS – The Cardinals were swept in three games by the Los Angeles Dodgers
2019 NLCS – The Cardinals were swept in four games by the Washington Nationals.
In an oldie, the Cardinals were swept in four games by the New York Yankees in the 1928 World Series.
It seems like there have been more opponent sweeps in the last three or four years as the Cardinals have struggled to win consistently. The best that can be said is that the Cardinals are not unique in this regard over the history of the sport.
Now available – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its ninth year. It includes 275 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including over five dozen all-new player scouting reports by Kyle Reis. Order your PDF or spiral-bound printed book today.
All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
photo: Chase Davis (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 2-2 on Friday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Springfield RF Chase Davis, went 3-for-4 including two home runs with four RBI. Other standouts include Pete Hansen, Chen-Wei Lin, Dakota Harris, Tai Peete, Jack Gurevitch and Luis Pino.
Results for games played on Friday, April 24, 2026.
Luis Gastelum relieved Hansen and secured the final out of the fifth. Scott Blewett and Max Rajcic threw two scoreless innings each. Skylar Hales allowed the winning run in the 10th on a bases-loaded single and took the walkoff loss.
The Redbirds scattered seven hits. Leonardo Bernal was 3-for-4. Bligh Madris was 2-for-3. The offense was 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base.
Madris stole his first base of the season. Colton Ledbetter and Bernal were caught stealing.
Madris made a missed catch error. Ledbetter had an outfield assist at second base.
Memphis is 16-9 on the season.
Saturday’s game: at Norfolk, RHP Hunter Dobbins (3-0, 3.86) vs. Cade Povich LHP (0-1, 5.40) 5:35 CT.
The Double-A Cardinals beat the RockHounds 9-2 in Springfield on Friday. Starter Brandt Thompson pitched five innings, gave up two runs on five hits, walked one and fanned six.
Chen-Wei Lin relieved Thompson and threw the final four scoreless innings for the win. Lin allowed just two hits and two walks and struck out six.
Midland took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning. Springfield cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the inning on a solo home run by Travis Honeyman.
The Cardinals tied the game in the fourth. Chase Davis and Ryan Campos singled. Zach Levenson grounded into a double play and Davis scored.
Springfield took the lead 4-2 in the sixth on a two-run home run by Davis. In the eighth, the Cardinals added five runs to extend the lead to 9-2. Miguel Ugueto singled and stole second base. Davis followed with another two-run home run.
The offense scored nine runs on 13 hits. Davis was 3-for-4 including two home runs with four RBI and three runs scored. Harris was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Ugueto was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Campos was 2-for-4. Noah Mendlinger was 2-for-4. Honeyman homered and scored two runs.
Harris stole his fifth base of the season. Ugueto swiped his 12th bag. Paige made a fielding error.
Springfield is 7-12 on the season.
Saturday’s game: vs. Midland, Liam Doyle LHP (0-2, 9.39) vs. Wei-En Lin LHP (1-0, 2.25) 6:05 CT.
The Chiefs’ four-game winning streak ended as the Kernels took an 8-4 win at Dozer Park on Friday. Starter Blake Aita pitched four innings, gave up four runs on seven hits, walked two and fanned five. Aita took the loss.
Christian Worley relieved Aita and surrendered three runs in 1 2/3 innings. Sam Brodersen yielded one unearned run in 1 1/3 innings. Gerardo Salas tossed the final two scoreless innings.
Cedar Rapids went up 1-0 in the top of the first inning. Peoria tied it in the home first. Tai Peete and Rainiel Rodriguez walked. Jésus Báez doubled to plate Peete.
The Kernels made it 2-1 in the top of the second but the Chiefs answered in the home half on a solo home run by Peete.
The Chiefs plated one run in the ninth to bring the final score to 8-4. Won-Bin Cho singled and later scored on a double by Jose Cordoba.
The offense scored four runs on six hits. No Chief had multiple hits. Peete scored two runs.
Miguel Villarroel stole his fourth base. Rodriguez made two errors, a throwing error and catcher interference. Suárez had an outfield assist at home plate.
Peoria is 8-10 on the season.
Saturday’s game: vs. Cedar Rapids, Yhoiker Fajardo RHP (1-0, 1.42) vs. Eli Jones RHP (1-0, 1.35) 6:05 CT.
The Class-A Cardinals pounded the Mets in a 12-4 road win on Friday. Starter Jacob Odle pitched 4 1/3 innings, gave up three runs on six hits, walked one and fanned six.
Patrick Galle relieved Odle and threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings for the win. Ruben Menes surrendered one run in 2 2/3 innings. Liam Best collected the final out of the ninth.
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Ryan Weingartner singled and scored on a double by Jack Gurevitch.
1B/3B Jack Gurevitch with an absolute missile (115.0 MPH EV) for his 3rd HR of the season!
The 2025 3rd round pick is 3-for-5 on the night with 4 RBI and a triple short of the cycle. pic.twitter.com/MY6xLYqnNN
— Cardinals Player Development (@CardsPlayerDev) April 25, 2026
The Mets tied the game in the home first and took a 2-1 lead in the third. In the top of the fourth, Palm Beach scored two runs to lead 3-2. Cameron Nickens walked. Christian Martin doubled. Luis Pino plated Nickens and Martin on a single.
The Beach Birds offense took off in the sixth, scoring seven runs to regain the lead at 10-3. Nickens singled and advanced to second on a balk. Martin walked. Trevor Haskins was hit by a pitch. Nickens scored on a wild pitch. Luis Pino struck out on a dropped third strike and advanced to first. Martin scored. Heriberto Caraballo and Weingartner walked and Haskins scored. Gurevitch singled to plate Pino and Caraballo. Alex Birge tripled to score Weingartner and Gurevitch.
The Cardinals added a run in the eighth on a solo home run by Gurevitch. They made it 12-3 in the top of the ninth. Martin walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch, went to third on a ground out by Haskins, and scored on a sac fly by Pino.
The Cardinals scored 12 runs on nine hits. Gurevitch was 3-for-6 with four RBI and two runs scored. Pino had three RBI. Birge drove in two. Martin scored three runs. Weingartner and Nickens scored two runs.
The Cardinals are 14-5 on the season.
Saturday’s game: at St. Lucie, RHP Ty Van Dyke (1-0, 0.00) vs. Jose Chirinos RHP (1-0, 2.70) 5:10 CT.
Now available – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its ninth year. It includes 275 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including over five dozen all-new player scouting reports by Kyle Reis. Order your PDF or spiral-bound printed book today.
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photo: Nelson Velazquez (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 2-2 on Wednesday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Memphis RF Nelson Velázquez, singled, homered and drove in four. Other standouts include Jimmy Crooks, Blaze Jordan, César Prieto, Joshua Báez, José Suárez and Tai Peete.
Results for games played on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
The Triple-A Redbirds beat the Tides by a 9-7 score in Norfolk on Wednesday. Starter Bruce Zimmermann pitched five innings, gave up six runs, four earned, on 10 hits, walked one and fanned nine and received his second win.
Luis Gastelum relieved Zimmerman and surrendered one run in the sixth. Hancel Rincon threw two scoreless innings. Max Rajcic tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his first save.
Memphis went up 2-0 in the second inning. César Prieto, Blaze Jordan and Bligh Madris singled. Nelson Velázquez plated Prieto and Jordan on a single.
The Redbirds added a run in the top of the third to lead 3-0. Jimmy Crooks and Prieto singled, then advanced on a wild pitch. Jordan walked. Crooks scored on a force out by Madris.
Norfolk answered in the bottom of the third with three runs to tie the game.
In the top of the fourth, Memphis took a 6-3 lead on a three-run home run by Crooks.
Memphis added a run in the top of the sixth on a solo home run by Joshua Báez to extend the lead to 9-6.
Norfolk put up a run in the bottom of the sixth to cut the lead to 9-7.
The Memphis offense scored nine runs on 11 hits. Crooks was 2-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. Velázquez was 2-for-5 with four RBI. Jordan was 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Prieto was 2-for-5. Báez scored two runs.
Bryan Torres stole his fourth base of the season and made a fielding error. Zimmerman had a throwing error.
Memphis is 15-8 on the season and is in a tie for first place in the International League West.
Thursday’s game: at Norfolk, LHP Brycen Mautz (0-1, 3.63) vs. Levi Wells RHP (1-1, 5.40) 11:05 am CT.
Darlin Saladin relieved Davis and surrendered one run in 1 1/3 innings. Mason Burns yielded two runs in 1 2/3 innings. Edwin Nuñez relinquished two runs in 2/3 of an inning. Randel Clemente secured the final out of the ninth.
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a sac fly by Noah Mendlinger.
In the fifth, Midland took a 2-1 edge. The RockHounds added a run in the seventh, two in the eighth and two in the ninth without an answer from Springfield.
The Cardinals offense scored one run on two hits, both singles by Jeremy Rivas.
Rivas stole his fifth base of the season. Trey Paige was picked off first base.
Springfield is 6-11 on the season.
Thursday’s game: vs. Midland, Mason Molina LHP (0-1, 3.77) vs. Kenya Huggins RHP (0-1, 4.82) 6:35 CT.
Aaron Holiday relieved Franklin and threw two scoreless innings for the win. D.J. Carpenter surrendered one run in the seventh. Jack Findlay and Bobby Olsen each tossed a scoreless inning.
Cedar Rapids went up 1-0 in the third inning. Peoria answered in the fourth with three runs to take the lead. Jesús Báez doubled and scored on a single by Josh Kross. Jalin Flores followed with a two-run home run.
The Kernels cut the Peoria lead to 3-2 in the top of the seventh.
In the bottom of the inning, the Chiefs extended their lead to 5-2. Cade McGee was hit by a pitch and José Suárez doubled. Ian Petrutz plated both runners on a single.
The Cardinals fell to the Mets by a 5-2 score in Port St. Lucie on Wednesday. Starter Cade Crossland pitched 3 2/3 innings, gave up two runs on two hits, walked four and fanned six.
Liam Best relieved Crossland and finished the fourth. Jake Shelagowski surrendered three runs in 3 1/3 innings and took the loss. Jovi Gálvez tossed the final 2/3 of a scoreless inning.
The Beach Birds scored first on a two-run home run by Brayden Smith in the second inning.
St. Lucie tied the game in the fourth, added two runs in the seventh and one in the eighth to take the game 5-2.
Palm Beach scored two runs on six hits. Ryan Weingartner was 2-for-3. Smith had two RBI. The offense was 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.
Weingartner was picked off and caught stealing but also successfully stole a base, his sixth of the season.
Jack Gurevitch made a throwing error.
The Cardinals are 12-5 on the season and lead St. Lucie by three games in the Florida State League East.
Thursday’s game: at St. Lucie, TBD (PB) vs. Connor Ware LHP (1-1, 3.72) 5:10 CT.
Now available – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide
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All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
photo: Ryan Weingartner (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 3-1 on Tuesday. The Cardinal Nation’s Players of the Day are the Palm Beach offense, who scored 17 runs in a massacre of the St. Lucie Mets. Other standouts include Joshua Báez, Anyelo Encarnación and Josh Kross.
Results for games played on Tuesday, April 21, 2026.
The Triple-A Redbirds fell to the Norfolk Tides by a 7-3 score on Tuesday. It was Memphis’ first series-opening loss of 2026.
Starter Quinn Mathews pitched 4 1/3 innings, gave up three runs, two earned, on two hits, walked six and fanned four. Mathews took the loss.
Skylar Hales relieved Mathews and surrendered three runs in 2/3 of an inning. Matt Pushard, rehabbing in Memphis, yielded one run in two innings. Chris Roycroft tossed a scoreless eighth.
Memphis took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Bryan Torres tripled and scored on a ground out by Jimmy Crooks. The Tides tied the game in the bottom of the inning.
Austin Love relieved Cijntje with 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Hunter Hayes hurled 1 2/3 scoreless innings to earn the win. Ryan Murphy surrendered three runs in the final 1 1/3 innings but still received his second save.
Midland went up 1-0 in the first inning. The score did not change until Springfield scored four runs in the seventh to take a 4-1 lead. Dakota Harris walked. Zach Levenson doubled. Ryan Campos walked and Harris scored on a passed ball. Travis Honeyman plated Levenson on a single. Trey Paige walked to load the bases. Campos was thrown out at home on a double play by Jeremy Rivas. Jon Jon Gazdar doubled to score Honeyman and Paige.
The Cardinals added a run in the eighth to extend their lead to 5-1. Chase Davis singled. Harris walked. Levenson singled. Campos singled and Harris scored.
The RockHounds rallied for three runs in the ninth but the Cardinals held on to win the game 5-4.
The offense scored five runs on six hits. Levenson was 2-for-4. Gazdar had two RBI. Harris scored two runs.
Miguel Ugueto stole his 10th base of the season. Paige made a throwing error.
Springfield is 6-10 on the season.
Wednesday’s game: vs. Midland, Braden Davis LHP (0-1, 8.25) vs. Corey Avant RHP (0-1, 3.75) 11:15 am CT.
Gerardo Salas relieved Sparks and threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings for his first win. Sam Brodersen surrendered one run in the seventh. Christian Worley and Jawilme Ramírez each tossed a scoreless inning.
Peoria scored one run in the first inning to take the lead. Rainiel Rodriguez doubled and came home on a single by Josh Kross.
Cedar Rapids tied the game in the top of the fourth. In the bottom of that inning, the Chiefs put up five runs to regain the lead 6-1. Jalin Flores, Cade McGee and José Suárez singled to load the bases. In his first game off the injured list, Anyelo Encarnación blasted a grand slam to right center field.
The Kernels scored one run in the seventh to cut the lead to 7-2.
The Chiefs scored seven runs on 12 hits. Encarnación was 3-for-4 with four RBI and two runs scored. Kross was 2-for-3 with two RBI. McGee was 2-for-4. Rodriguez scored two runs.
Jesús Báez made a fielding error. Peete had an outfield assist at second base.
Peoria is 6-9 on the season.
Wednesday’s game: vs. Cedar Rapids, Tanner Franklin RHP (0-0, 2.53) vs. Dasan Hill LHP (0-2, 12:38) 11:05 am CT.
The Cardinals gave the Mets a beat down at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie on Tuesday. Starter Ethan Young pitched 3 1/3 innings, gave up two runs on three hits, walked two and fanned four.
Yordy Herrera relieved Young and threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings for his first win. Patrick Galle hurled a scoreless seventh. Kaden Echeman tossed the final two scoreless innings, with just a walk and all six outs via the strikeout.
The Beach Birds went up 7-0 in the second inning. Jonathan Mejía walked. Brayden Smith singled. Yordalin Peña was hit by a pitch. Cameron Nickens singled to plate Mejía and Smith. Trevor Haskins drew a walk. Ryan Weingartner walked and Peña scored. Nickens came home on a walk by Ryan Mitchell. Jack Gurevitch doubled to clear the bases.
Palm Beach ran up the score with an eight-run eighth inning to increase the lead to 17-2. Peña doubled. Nickens drew a walk. Haskins walked. Weingartner followed with a grand slam to left center field.
Still in the eighth, Mitchell walked and came home on a Gurevitch home run. Mejía walked. Chase Heath doubled. Mejía scored on a balk. Heath came home on a ground out by Peña.
The Cardinals scored 17 runs on 10 hits. Gurevitch was 2-for-6 with five RBI. Nickens was 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Weingartner had five RBI. Mitchell had two RBI and three runs scored. Smith, Peña, Mejía and Haskins each scored two runs.
The first-place Cardinals are 12-4 on the season.
Wednesday’s game: at St. Lucie, LH Cade Crossland (0-1, 3.65) vs. Frank Camarillo RHP (0-1, 4.76) 5:10 CT.
Now available – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its ninth year. It includes 275 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including over five dozen all-new player scouting reports by Kyle Reis. Order your PDF or spiral-bound printed book today.
All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
The St. Louis Cardinals went 5-2 for the week and are only a half-game out of first place. Riley O’Brien has settled in at closer with a 3-0 record, six saves and a 0.00 ERA through 12 appearances. For Jackie Robinson Day, our history section highlights prominent black Cardinals, past and present.
On Monday, the St. Louis Cardinals fell to the Cleveland Guardians in the first of a three-game series at Busch Stadium. Starter Matthew Liberatore pitched five innings, gave up four runs on six hits, walked three and struck out two. Liberatore took the loss.
Justin Bruihl relieved Liberatore and surrendered two runs in the sixth. Gordon Graceffo yielded one unearned run in 1 1/3 innings. Ryan Fernandez tossed the final 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
Cleveland took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. St. Louis answered in the bottom of the frame to tie the game at 1-1. JJ Wetherholt and Iván Herrera singled. Alec Burleson plated Wetherholt on a single.
The Guardians put up three runs in the fourth and two runs in the top of the sixth to go ahead 6-1. The Cardinals responded with one run in the home sixth to shrink the lead to 6-2.
In the top of the eighth, the Guardians increased their lead to 9-2. The Cardinals added one more run in the home eighth to make the final 9-3.
The Cardinals scored three runs on nine hits. Jordan Walker was 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Burleson was 2-for-5 with an RBI. The offense had more chances, but they were 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base.
The Cardinals topped the Guardians 6-5 in extra innings at Busch Stadium on Tuesday. Starter Michael McGreevy pitched five innings, gave up two runs on four hits, walked one and struck out two.
George Soriano relieved McGreevy and threw a scoreless sixth. JoJo Romero hurled 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Ryne Stanek surrendered three runs in 2/3 of an inning. Matt Svanson pitched a scoreless ninth. Riley O’Brien tossed a scoreless 10th to earn his second win.
Cleveland went up 1-0 in the first inning. St. Louis tied it in the bottom of the first on a solo home run by Iván Herrera.
The Guardians added a run in the second to lead 2-1. The Cardinals knotted it up again with a run in the third on a solo home run by JJ Wetherholt.
The game remained tied 2-2 until the eighth inning. In the top of the inning, the Guardians scored three to break the tie and lead 5-2. The Cardinals rallied for two runs on another home run by Wetherholt to make it 5-4.
St. Louis added one run in the ninth to tie the game and send it into extra innings. Masyn Winn reached on an error and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Yohel Pozo plated Winn on a double.
In the 10th, the Guardians failed to score the tiebreaker runner in the top of the inning. The Cardinals succeeded in that regard when runner Thomas Saggese advanced from second to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sac fly by Nathan Church to win the game in walk off fashion, 6-5.
The Cardinals scored six runs on eight hits. Wetherholt was 2-for-4 with both hits home runs, three RBI and two runs scored.
Jordan Walker stole his second base of the season. Ramón Urías was caught stealing.
The Cardinals took the home series over the Guardians with a 5-3 win on Wednesday. Starter Dustin May pitched six innings, gave up one run on six hits, walked one and fanned four to earn his second consecutive win.
Justin Bruihl relieved May and surrendered two runs in 2/3 of an inning. JoJo Romero threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Riley O’Brien tossed a scoreless ninth for his fifth save.
Cleveland scored once in the first inning.
St. Louis tied the game in second. Nathan Church singled on a bunt, stole second and scored on a single by Pedro Pagés.
The Cardinals added three runs in the sixth to lead 4-1. Masyn Winn and Church singled. The runners advanced on a sac bunt by Pagés. Victor Scott walked. Winn scored on a sac fly by JJ Wetherholt. Iván Herrera was intentionally walked. Alec Burleson singled to plate Church and Scott.
The Guardians came back with two runs in the top of the seventh to cut the lead to 4-3. The Cardinals added one run in the home seventh to extend the lead to 5-3. Nolan Gorman singled and Ramón Urías pinch ran. Church doubled to score Urías.
The Cardinals scored five runs on nine hits. Church was 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Burleson was 2-for-5 with two RBI.
Church and Pagés stole their first base. Wetherholt swiped his fourth bag. Scott stole his third base.
On Friday, the Cardinals beat the Astros in the first of a three-game series at Daikin Park in Houston. Starter Kyle Leahy pitched five innings, gave up three runs on five hits and fanned six to earn his second win.
Justin Bruihl relieved Leahy and threw a scoreless sixth. JoJo Romero hurled a scoreless seventh. Ryne Stanek surrendered one run in the eighth. George Soriano tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Cardinals took 1-0 lead in the first inning. JJ Wetherholt and Alec Burleson singled. Jordan Walker plated Wetherholt on a single.
St. Louis added two runs in the top of the third to extend the lead to 3-0. JJ Wetherholt and Iván Herrera were hit by a pitches. Alec Burleson drew a walk to load the bases. Masyn Winn plated Wetherholt and Herrera on a single.
Houston scored two runs in the home third to cut the lead to 3-2. The Cardinals answered with a run in the fourth. Pedro Pagés led off with a double and he came home on Herrera’s single.
The Astros added a run in the fifth to shrink the lead to 4-3. In the seventh, the Cardinals scored three runs to lead 7-3. Burleson doubled. Jordan Walker drew a walk. Nolan Gorman followed with a three-run home run.
The Cardinals scored nine runs on 10 hits. Herrera was 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Burleson was 2-for-4. Gorman had three RBI. Winn had two RBI. Wetherholt scored three runs.
Nathan Church stole his second base. Burleson made a fielding error. Pagés was tagged with catcher interference.
The Cardinals took the second game of the series by the score of 7-5 on Saturday. Starter Andre Pallante pitched five innings, gave up one run on three hits, walked three and fanned five to earn his second win.
Gordon Graceffo relieved Pallante and threw two scoreless innings. Matt Svanson surrendered one run in the eighth. George Soriano yielded three runs in 1/3 of an inning. Riley O’Brien secured the final two outs in the ninth for his sixth save.
The Cardinals took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. JJ Wetherholt and Iván Herrea were hit by pitches back-to-back in the same inning for the second straight game. Jordan Walker drew a walk. Nolan Gorman plated Wetherholt and Herrera on a single.
The Astros scored a run in the bottom of the first. The Cardinals added two more runs in the third to increase the lead to 4-1. Gorman singled and Masyn Winn followed with a two-run home run.
St. Louis extended its lead in the sixth on a solo home run by José Fermín. Another run in the top of the seventh on a solo home run by Alec Burleson made it 6-1.
In the top of the eighth, the Cardinals added their seventh run. Ramón Urías walked and Church singled. Church was eliminated in a double play by Fermín. Urías scored from third on a wild pitch.
The Astros rallied for one run in the home eighth and three more in the ninth, to shrink the final score to 7-5.
St. Louis scored seven runs on nine hits. Gorman was 2-for-5 with two RBI. Burleson was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Winn had two RBI.
On Sunday, the Cardinals prevailed in an extra innings nail biter to sweep the Astros at Daikin Park. Starter Matthew Liberatore pitched six innings, gave up one run on three hits, walked two and fanned four.
Ryne Stanek relieved Liberatore and threw a scoreless seventh. JoJo Romero surrendered three runs in 2/3 of an inning. Riley O’Brien hurled 1 1/3 scoreless innings to earn his third win. Justin Bruihl yielded one run in 2/3 of an inning, and Gordon Graceffo secured the final out of the 10th for his second career MLB save.
The Astros scored first with one run in the third inning. In the fifth, the Cardinals offense finally broke through against tough Astros starter Mike Burrows, to score four runs and take the lead. Masyn Winn singled with two outs. Nathan Church drew a walk. Pedro Pagés’s infield single loaded the bases. Victor Scott drew a walk and Winn scored. JJ Wetherholt plated Church and Pagés on a single. Scott came home on a single by Iván Herrera.
The score remained 4-1 until the eighth inning when the Astros put up three runs on usually reliable JoJo Romero to tie the game.
Neither team scored in the ninth and the game went into the tiebreaker 10th. Herrera was the runner at second. With one out, Jordan Walker reached on an error by the Astros third baseman. Pinch hitter Ramón Urías was hit by a pitch. With the bases loaded, Winn doubled into left field, clearing the bases for three runs to put the Cardinals in the lead 7-4.
The Astros put one run on the board in the 10th but could not do more and the Cardinals prevailed 7-5 to sweep the series.
St. Louis’ offense scored seven runs on eight hits. Winn, a native of Houston, was 3-for-5 with three RBI. Wetherholt had two RBI.
Burleson made a throwing error. O’Brien picked a runner off first base.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals had a good week, with a record of 5-2. They won two of three from the Guardians and swept the Astros. They have a record of 13-8 and are tied with the Pirates for second place in the NL Central, a half game back of the Reds.
The offense has picked up over these seven games, though last week’s best hitter, Jordan Walker, has fallen off over the last five games or so. This is not unusual, as not many players can keep up with the pace Walker was on to begin the season.
The top performers offensively over the last seven days by OPS are JJ Wetherholt (1.083), Masyn Winn (.949), and José Fermín (1.556 in six ABs). Next in line are Alec Burleson (.881) and Iván Herrera (.857). Both Winn and Herrera have vastly improved since being at the bottom of list in previous weeks.
The “Needs Improvement” List this week includes Thomas Saggese (.000 OPS) in six ABS), Ramón Urías (.333 in six ABs) and Victor Scott (.350 in 12 ABs).
Jordan Walker has dropped to .754 over the last week, though he still had some key hits.
Pitching remains the biggest weakness of the team. Among the starters, Dustin May, Andre Pallante, and Michael McGreevy had ERAs for the week under 4.00. Matthew Liberatore had an ERA of 4.09, but he was terrific in his most recent start on Sunday. He was the only starter with two starts during the week. Kyle Leahy is the weak link in the rotation for now.
The bullpen has not improved. Riley O’Brien and Gordon Graceffo had the best week. The usually reliable JoJo Romero had a hiccup in Sunday’s game, giving up three runs in 2/3 of an inning. Ryan Fernandez was decent as well but has only pitched 1 2/3 innings since his recall from Memphis. Matt Svanson pitched better in two appearances than he has previously but still needs work. Justin Bruihl, Ryne Stanek, and George Soriano were not good (though Stanek managed to not give up runs in one inning on Sunday).
Furthermore, the bullpen was used heavily this week, and two extra innings games did not help. The pen could use a refresh, but there is no help to be found in Memphis. The coming week will be key in seeing what the team does to improve the situation, if anything.
The Cardinals finish their road trip in Miami with three games beginning Monday. They will miss the Marlins’ two best starters, Sandy Alcantara and Eury Perez.
They will end the week with three at home against the Seattle Mariners. Former Cardinal Brendan Donovan, now a Mariner, has been suffering from a sore hip but has not been put on the IL. We may or may not see him in that series.
Stay tuned as the season progresses.
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
The Cardinals received a gift this past week in the form of the return of RHP Cade Winquest from the New York Yankees. Winquest was a Rule 5 pick in December. Teams that draft a player in the Major League Rule 5 draft must keep that player on their major league roster for the entire season or return him to his original team (after the player is sent through the waiver process first). Many teams will return the player before the season starts if the player does not demonstrate he is worthy of a major league roster spot during spring training.
The Yankees put Winquest on their major league roster once the season began despite his not having a compelling spring training performance. The Yankees never put him in a game to pitch, however.
When starter Luis Gil was recalled from the minor leagues on April 10 and needed a spot on the 26-man roster, the Yankees designated Winquest for assignment (a Rule 5 draft pick cannot be optioned to the minor leagues). In accordance with the rules regarding Rule 5 draft picks, Winquest was put on waivers.
Any team that claimed Winquest would be subject to the same Rule 5 restrictions the Yankees had, which would require the claiming team to keep him on the major league roster for the entire season. This is a tough rule to follow for any team. Unsurprisingly, Winquest cleared waivers and was returned to the Cardinals.
The Cardinals placed Winquest on the Memphis Redbirds roster.
NL Central Standings
Team
W
L
Pct
GB
Cincinnati
14
8
0.636
St. Louis
13
8
0.619
0.5
Pittsburgh
13
9
0.591
1
Chicago
12
9
0.571
1.5
Milwaukee
12
9
0.571
1.5
Transactions
4/13 RHP Cade Winquest was returned to the Cardinals from the New York Yankees.
4/13 The Cardinals recalled RHP Ryan Fernandez from the Memphis Redbirds.
4/13 The Cardinals designated LHP Jared Shuster for assignment.
4/15 The Cardinals sent LHP Matt Pushard on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds.
4/15 The Cardinals sent LHP Jared Shuster outright to the Memphis Redbirds.
Injury Report
OF Lars Nootbaar (heel surgery) will continue his rehab for his Haglund’s Deformities surgery on both heels. Nootbaar was placed on the 60-day injured list on March 25. Jeff Jones reportedthat the outfielder was in St. Louis over the April 10-12 weekend and is progressing with the hope he can be activated close to when eligible. Nootbaar is not yet hitting live pitching, however.
RHP Hunter Dobbins was placed on the 15-day injured list on March 25, retroactive to March 22. Dobbins was sent on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds on March 31. He made his fourth rehab start on April 19. The timing of his recall from the rehab assignment is yet to be determined.
LHP Matt Pushard was placed on the 15-day injured list on March 31 retroactive to March 30 due to right knee patellar tendinitis. Pushard has begun a rehab assignment with the Memphis Redbirds.
Looking Ahead
The Cardinals’ series in Houston ended on Sunday. The team then travels to Miami for three games with the Marlins.
The Cardinals will return from their second road trip for a brief homestand. The Cardinals play the Seattle Mariners beginning Friday, April 24 and ending Sunday, April 26.
The Cardinals end April on the road with four games in Pittsburgh with the Pirates. The team returns to St. Louis to begin May with a weekend set against the Dodgers.
The first homestand of May continues with three vs. the Brewers following the Dodgers series.
The homestand follows with a six-game road trip in California that includes three against the Padres and three games with the Athletics in Sacramento.
Blast from the Past
This past week, Major League Baseball celebrated Jackie Robinson Day on April 15. It was officially established in 2004. The annual celebration of the integration of MLB is celebrated every year. Generally, the celebration includes every player on all 30 teams wearing the number 42 on their uniform for that day, a tradition that began in 2009.
Unfortunately, as of the 2026 season, less than 10% of all players on a major league roster are black. The percentage has slowly risen from 6% in 2024 to 6.2% in 2025 and to 6.8% in 2026. The highest percentage of black players on a major league roster was 19% in 1986. Major League Baseball still has a lot of work to do in this regard.
We celebrate Jackie Robinson Day in this week’s Blast from the Past with a list of some of the earlier black players and end with the black players currently on the Cardinals roster.
Not all black players are mentioned as the list would be too long. For each player we list the year they were acquired and any other relevant details.
Tom Alston
Tom Alston – Alston was the first black player on the Cardinals. He was acquired in a trade with the San Diego Padres in 1954 under the ownership of Anheuser-Busch and August A. Busch Jr. He debuted for the Cardinals on April 13, 1954 and made his last appearance on September 29, 1957.
Bill Greason – Greason was the Cardinals’ first black pitcher. Greason was also acquired in 1954. He debuted on May 31, 1954 but played with St. Louis only one season. He spent the remainder of his career in the minor leagues before retiring in 1959. Currently, at 101 years of age, Rev. Greason is MLB’s oldest living player.
Curt Flood
Curt Flood – Acquired in 1958, Flood is one of the more famous black players for the Cardinals and perhaps the most tragic. Flood was a good player, but he is most famous for his fight against the reserve clause. He lost his legal battles, but the reserve clause would meet a welcome death in 1975 and baseball has Flood to thank for that.
Bob Gibson – Gibson, arguably the best pitcher to ever wear a Cardinal uniform, was signed as a free agent and made his debut in 1959. He is an eight-time All-Star, two time Cy Young Award winner , eight-time Gold Glove Award winner and a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Nothing else needs to be said.
Lou Brock (USA TODAY Sports Images)
Lou Brock – Brock was acquired in the infamous trade with the Cubs for pitcher Ernie Broglio and others in 1964. He was one of the best base stealers in the history of the game and is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Ozzie Smith – Arguably the best shortstop to ever put on a glove, Smith was acquired in trade from the Padres in 1982. He played for the Cardinals until his retirement in 1996 and remains a St Louis resident and mentor to all young Cardinal shortstops.
Willie McGee, 1983
Willie McGee – McGee is one of the most popular players to ever wear the Cardinal uniform. Acquired in a trade with the Yankees in 1981. The NL MVP winner in 1985 was recently a coach for St. Louis and has since moved into a position in the front office.
Masyn Winn – The current shortstop for the Cardinals, Masyn is the 2025 Gold Glove Award winner at his position. He was acquired in the second round of the 2020 draft.
Jordan Walker – The current right fielder for the Cardinals. Walker is now tied for third place in MLB in home runs in the 2026 season. He was acquired in the first round of the 2020 draft.
Victor Scott II – Scott is the starting center fielder on the 2026 Cardinals. His claim to fame is his speed. He is currently ranked seventh in sprint speed among all active MLB players. He was acquired in the fifth round of the 2022 draft.
Now available – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its ninth year. It includes 275 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including over five dozen all-new player scouting reports by Kyle Reis. Order your PDF or spiral-bound printed book today.
All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 2-1 on Friday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Memphis 2B César Prieto, was 3-for-5 including a home run and three RBI. Other standouts include Jimmy Crooks, Jon Jon Gazdar, Travis Honeyman and Trey Paige.
Results for games played on Friday, April 17, 2026.
The Triple-A Redbirds beat the Stripers by a 5-3 score at AutoZone Park on Friday. Starter Brycen Mautz pitched 4 2/3 innings, gave up two runs on five hits, walked two and fanned five.
Luis Gastelum relieved Mautz and threw two hitless, scoreless innings for his second win. Chris Roycroft surrendered one run in 1 1/3 innings. Scott Blewett tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his second save.
Memphis opened scoring in the fourth inning on a solo home run by Jimmy Crooks. Gwinnett put up two runs in the top of the fifth to take the lead.
The Redbirds regained the lead in the home fifth with three runs to make it 4-2. Bryan Torres singled and César Prieto followed with a two-run home run.
The Stripers made it 4-3 in the top of the eighth. Memphis answered with a run in the home eighth to extend the lead to 5-3. Ramon Mendoza walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Brody Moore walked. Prieto singled to plate Mendoza.
The Redbirds scored five runs on 11 hits. Prieto was 3-for-5 with three RBI. Crooks was 2-for-5 with two RBI. Nelson Velázquez was 2-for-4. Torres was 2-for-4.
Velázquez stole a base.
Memphis is 13-6 on the season.
Saturday’s game: vs. Gwinnett, Pete Hansen LHP (0-0, 0.00) vs. JR Ritchie RHP (3-1, 1.27) 1:05 CT.
Nelfy Ynfante relieved Molina and surrendered four runs in two innings to take the loss. Edwin Nuñez tossed the final 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
Wichita took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Springfield tied the game in the third. Carlos Linarez singled and later came home on a double by Jon Jon Gazdar.
The Cardinals added a run in the fourth to lead 2-1. Trey Paige doubled and scored on a single by Travis Honeyman.
The Class-A Cardinals defeated the Hammerheads by the score of 5-2 on Friday at Roger Dean Stadium. Starter Jack Martinez pitched four innings, gave up one run on two hits, walked three and struck out two.
Kaden Echeman relieved Martinez and surrendered one run in two innings and received the win. Liam Best threw two scoreless innings. Patrick Galle tossed a scoreless ninth with a walk and three strikeouts to earn his second save.
The Beach Birds went up 1-0 in the first inning. Jack Gurevitch walked. Yordalin Peña was hit by a pitch. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch before Gurevitch scored on a second wild pitch.
Jupiter tied the game in the fourth. Palm Beach broke the tie in the fifth with a solo home run by Jonathan Mejía.
The Hammerheads tied the game again in the top of the sixth. In the home sixth, the Cardinals scored two runs to go ahead 4-2. Cameron Nickens was hit by a pitch. Christian Martin singled. Trevor Haskins doubled to plate Nickens. Johnfrank Salazar singled to score Martin.
Palm Beach added a run in the seventh to extend their lead to 5-2. Alex Birge walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Cameron Nickens singled to bring Birge home.
The Cardinals scored five runs on seven hits. Nickens was 2-for-2 with an RBI. Martin was 2-for-3.
Martin and Haskins were caught stealing. Mejía made a throwing error. Martinez picked a runner off first base.
The Cardinals are 10-3 on the season.
Saturday’s game: vs. Jupiter, TBD (PB) vs. Walin Castillo RHP (0-0, 1.29) 5:00 CT.
Now available – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its ninth year. It includes 275 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including over five dozen all-new player scouting reports by Kyle Reis. Order your PDF or spiral-bound printed book today.
All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 1-4 on Wednesday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, C Rainiel Rodriguez, hit three doubles, a triple, drove in one and caught a runner stealing in Peoria’s twin bill. Other standouts include Quinn Mathews, Miguel Ugueto, Ruben Menes, José Suárez and Trevor Haskins.
Results for games played on Wednesday, April 15, 2026.
The Triple-A Redbirds were pounded by the Stripers in a 10-3 home loss on Wednesday. Starter Quinn Mathews pitched five scoreless innings, allowed one hit, walked three and fanned eight.
Matt Pushard, opening his rehab assignment from St. Louis, relieved Mathews and threw a scoreless sixth. Tink Hence surrendered six runs in 2/3 of an inning and took the loss. Gerson Moreno yielded one run in 1/3 of an inning. Ian Bedell relinquished three runs in 1 1/3 innings. Skylar Hales secured the final two outs.
Memphis took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Jimmy Crooks reached on an error. Blaze Jordan singled, advancing Crooks to third. Crooks scored on a double play by Nelson Velázquez.
The score remained 1-0 until the seventh inning, when Gwinnett posted seven runs. The Stripers made it 8-1 in the top of the eighth.
The Redbirds added a second run in the home eighth on a solo home run by Joshua Báez.
The Double-A Cardinals fell to the Wind Surge by a 5-3 score on Wednesday. Starter Jurrangelo Cijntje pitched 4 2/3 innings, gave up four runs on five hits, walked two and fanned five. Cijntje took the loss.
Austin Love relieved Cijntje and surrendered one run in 1 1/3 innings. Mason Burns tossed the final two scoreless innings.
Springfield went up 1-0 in the top of the first inning on a solo home run by Miguel Ugueto.
Wichita answered with two runs in the bottom of the first. The Wind Surge extended their lead with a run in the third.
In the top of the fifth, the Cardinals cut the lead to 3-2. Carlos Linarez singled but was eliminated in a force out by Jon Jon Gazdar. Chase Davis plated Gazdar on a single.
Wichita extended their lead to 5-2 with single runs in the fifth and sixth.
Springfield put up one run in the seventh to shrink the lead to 5-3. Graysen Tarlow was hit by a pitch and later scored on a single by Gazdar.
The Cardinals scored three runs on nine hits. Ugueto was 4-for-5 with an RBI. Gazdar was 2-for-5 with an RBI.
Ugueto stole his fifth base of the season. Chase Davis was caught stealing.
Riding a seven-game losing skid, Springfield is 4-7 on the season.
Thursday’s game: at Wichita, Braden Davis LHP (0-1, 9.00) vs. Mike Paredes RHP (1-0, 3.09) 6:35 CT.
The Chiefs fell to the Timber Rattlers in the first game of a twin bill on Wednesday. It was the makeup contest for Tuesday’s rainout.
Starter Nolan Sparks pitched two innings, gave up five runs on five hits, walked four and struck out three. Sparks took the loss.
Gerardo Salas relieved Sparks and surrendered two runs in three innings. Sam Brodersen tossed a scoreless sixth.
Wisconsin took a 2-0 lead in the first inning then added two runs each in the second and third to extend their lead to 6-0.
In the top of the fourth, Peoria scored three runs to shrink the lead to 6-3. Jalin Flores tripled. Cade McGee walked. Ian Petrutz walked. José Suárez doubled to clear the bases.
The Chiefs lost the second game of the twin bill with Wisconsin by the score of 6-5.
After striking out the side in the fourth and only one Wisconsin run on the board, Chiefs starter Tanner Franklin was cruising. So, he remained in the game for the fifth inning for the first time in his career. It didn’t go well, with a hit-by-pitch, error, three-run homer and a walk prior to his exit with no outs.
Overall, Franklin pitched four-plus innings, gave up four runs, three earned, on four hits, walked one and fanned six.
Christian Worley relieved Franklin and surrendered two runs in 1 1/3 innings. Jack Findlay secured the final two outs.
Peoria took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Won-Bin Cho was hit by a pitch. Rainiel Rodriguez tripled to plate Cho. Rodriguez scored on a ground out by Jalin Flores.
The Chiefs added a run in the second to increase the lead to 3-0. Miguel Villarroel drew a walk. Tre Richardson singled. The two executed a double steal. Sammy Hernandez reached on a fielder’s choice as Villarroel scored.
Peoria extended their lead to 4-0 in the top of the third on a solo home run by José Suárez. The Timber Rattlers scored their first run in the home third to cut the lead to 4-1.
SUÁREZ. CRANKED. GONE.
José Suárez launches a no-doubt solo shot in the 3rd inning 🚀
In the fifth, Wisconsin put up three runs to tie the game. The Chiefs briefly regained the lead with one run in the top of the sixth. Suárez walked and later scored on a single by Jose Cordoba.
The Timber Rattlers took the lead to stay with two runs in the home sixth.
Peoria scored five runs on five hits. Suárez scored two runs. The offense was 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left four men on base.
Villarroel, Richardson, and Hernandez each stole a base. Suárez made a fielding error.
Peoria is 3-8 on the season.
Thursday’s game: at Wisconsin, Leonel Sequera RHP (0-2, 6.75) vs. Ethan Dorchies RHP (0-1, 9.95) 6:40 CT.
The Class-A Cardinals defeated the Hammerheads by a 4-2 score on Wednesday at Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Florida.
Starter Ethan Young pitched four innings, gave up two runs on four hits and fanned six.
Rubén Menes relieved Young and threw three scoreless innings on one hit, no walks and five strikeouts to earn the win. Robbie Knowles and Jovi Gálvez (save) added a scoreless frame each.
The Hammerheads went up 2-0 in the top of the third inning. Palm Beach tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Cameron Nickens reached on an error before Trevor Haskins hit a two-run home run.
The game remained tied until the seventh when the Cardinals scored twice. Jonathan Mejía and Brayden Smith walked then executed a double steal. Chase Heath walked to load the bases. Mejía scored on a wild pitch. Smith came home on a sac fly by Nickens.
The offense scored four runs despite just two hits. Haskins’ home run and a single by Ryan Mitchell were the two hits. The offense was 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left three men on base.
Mejía and Smith stole a base. Smith made a throwing error and Haskins had a fielding miscue.
First place Palm Beach is 9-2 on the season.
Thursday’s game: vs. Jupiter, TBD (PB) vs. Julio Mendez LHP (0-0, 2.25) 5:30 CT.
Now available – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide
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photo: Ty Van Dyke (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 2-1 on Tuesday with Peoria postponed. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Palm Beach’s Ty Van Dyke, pitched six scoreless, one-hit innings with four strikeouts. Other standouts include Hunter Dobbins, César Prieto, Chase Davis, Dakota Harris and Travis Honeyman.
Results for games played on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
The Triple-A Redbirds edged the Stripers by a 4-3 score at AutoZone Park on Tuesday.
Starter Hunter Dobbins, rehabbing for St. Louis, pitched five innings, gave up one run on three hits, walked one and fanned four to earn his third win.
Luis Gastelum relieved Dobbins and threw two scoreless innings. Scott Blewett surrendered two runs in the eighth. Chris Roycroft tossed a scoreless ninth.
Memphis went up 4-0 in the first inning. Bryan Torres walked and César Prieto followed with a two-run home run. Jimmy Crooks was hit by a pitch. Blaze Jordan doubled. Crooks scored on a wild pitch. Jordan came home on a sac fly by Leonardo Bernal.
The Cardinals absorbed a beating by the Wichita Wind Surge on Tuesday night. Starter Liam Doyle didn’t make it out of the first inning. The left hander gave up three runs on four hits in 2/3 of an inning, walking one and striking out one. Doyle suffered his second loss.
Randel Clemente relieved Doyle and surrendered five runs in 1 2/3 innings. Darlin Saladin yielded six runs in an inning. Dominic Picone relinquished three runs in 2 1/3 innings. Nelfy Ynfante allowed one run in 1 1/3 innings. Catcher Carlos Linarez pitched the final inning and was the only Cardinals pitcher to not be scored upon.
Wichita went up 3-0 in the first inning. The Wind Surge added four runs in the second, one in the third, and nine in the fourth to lead by two touchdowns and a field goal.
Springfield partially rallied for six runs in the sixth inning. Noah Mendlinger walked and Zach Levenson singled. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Travis Honeyman singled to plate Mendlinger and Levenson. Honeyman stole second base. Graysen Tarlow singled and stole second base. Chase Davis drove in Honeyman and Tarlow on a single. Dakota Harris followed with a two-run home run.
Wichita added a run in the seventh to make it 18-6.
The Cardinals scored six runs on nine hits. Davis and Harris were both 2-for-5 with two RBI. Honeyman was 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Honeyman stole two bases. Tarlow and Jon Jon Gazdar both stole a base.
Springfield is 4-6 on the season.
Wednesday’s game: at Wichita, Jurrangelo Cjintje SHP (1-0, 6.23) vs. Ryan Gallagher RHP (1-0, 1.93) 11:05 am CT.
Peoria at Wisconsin (postponed)
This game was postponed due to inclement weather. It will be played as part of a doubleheader on April 15.
Peoria is 3-6 on the season.
Wednesday’s games: at Wisconsin, Nolan Sparks RHP (1-1, 2.45) vs. Jason Woodward RHP (0-0, 0.00) 12:10 CT (game one); at Wisconsin, Tanner Franklin RHP (0-0, 0.00) vs. Travis Smith RHP (1-0, 1.80) (game two).
The Class-A Cardinals shut out the Hammerheads by a 3-0 score at Roger Dean Stadium on Tuesday. Starter Ty Van Dyke pitched six scoreless innings with one hit allowed, one walk and four strikeouts. Van Dyke earned his first win.
The Beach Birds added two runs in the eighth. Jack Gurevitch singled, advanced to second and third on two wild pitches. Ryan Mitchell walked. Jonathan Mejía singled to plate Gurevitch. Brayden Smith walked to load the bases. Mitchell scored on a sac fly by Yordalin Peña.
The Cardinals scored three runs on five hits. The Birge home run and a double by Luis Pino were the only extra base hits.
Pino stole his second base of the season. Ryan Weingartner, Mejía and Mitchell were each caught stealing.
The Cardinals, winners of seven straight, are 8-2 on the season.
Wednesday’s game: vs. Jupiter, RHP Ethan Young (0-0, 5.40) vs. Keyner Benitez LHP (0-0, 4.50) 5:42 CT.
Now available – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its ninth year. It includes 275 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including over five dozen all-new player scouting reports by Kyle Reis. Order your PDF or spiral-bound printed book today.
All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
photo: Jordan Walker (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The 8-7 Cardinals took their road series at Washington but dropped the home set to Boston. After steady Riley O’Brien and JoJo Romero, the bullpen has issues, while Jordan Walker’s hot hitting is pacing an inconsistent offense. Our history section outlines MLB’s legacy of hit-by-pitches.
The St. Louis Cardinals fell to the Washington Nationals in the first of a three-game road series on Monday. Starter Andre Pallante pitched five innings, gave up two runs on three hits, walked four and struck out two.
Justin Bruihl relieved Pallante and surrendered one run in 2/3 of an inning. JoJo Romero threw a scoreless frame. Ryne Stanek and Matt Svanson each relinquished three runs in 2/3 of an inning. Svanson took the loss.
Washington went up 2-0 in the first inning. St. Louis scored one run in the fifth to shrink the lead to 2-1 as Thomas Saggese doubled and later scored on a force out by Alec Burleson.
The Cardinals took a 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth inning on a two-run home run by Ramón Urías. The Nationals tied the game in the home sixth.
In the top of the eighth, the Cardinals regained the lead with three runs. Jordan Walker thumped a solo home run. Masyn Winn walked and scored on a Urías double. Urías advanced to third on a Thomas Saggese single and came hom on a sac bunt by Victor Scott.
The Nationals answered in the home eighth with six runs to take the lead and the game 9-6.
The Cardinals offense scored six runs on nine hits. Urías was 3-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored. Walker was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Saggese was 2-for-3.
The Cardinals edged the Nationals in an extra inning game on Tuesday. Starter Matthew Liberatore pitched five innings, gave up four runs on nine hits, walked two and fanned six.
Gordon Graceffo relieved Liberatore and surrendered one run in two innings. George Soriano hurled two scoreless innings for the win. Riley O’Brien yielded one unearned run in the 10th and earned his third save.
The Cardinals went up 2-0 in the first inning. JJ Wetherholt drew a walk and stole second base. Alec Burleson singled, advancing Wetherholt to third. Jordan Walker reached on a fielder’s choice ground ball to the shortstop. Wetherholt scored, Burleson went to second, Walker was safe on first due to a shortstop fielding error. Nolan Gorman plated Burleson on a single.
The Nationals scored one run in the home first and tied the game at 2-2 in the third inning.
In the fifth, Washington went ahead 4-2, then made it 5-2 in the sixth. St. Louis added a run in the seventh to shrink the lead to 5-3 on a solo home run by Jordan Walker.
The Cardinals tied the game at 5-5 in the eighth. Masyn Winn walked and scored on a two-run home by Nathan Church.
The game went into extra innings. In the top of the 10th, Masyn Winn was the runner on second. Thomas Saggese doubled to score him and make it 6-5. Saggese later came home on a double by Wetherholt to make it 7-5.
The Nationals scored just one run in the bottom of the 10th and the Cardinals won 7-6.
The Cardinals scored seven runs on nine hits. Gorman was 3-for-4 with an RBI. Saggese was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Walker and Church each had two RBI.
Wetherholt stole his third base. Winn swiped his second bag. Saggese was caught stealing. Pedro Pagés made a throwing error.
The Cardinals took the series against the Nationals with a 6-1 win on Wednesday. McGreevy took the mound for St. Louis. The right hander pitched six innings, gave up one run on four hits and struck out one to earn his first win.
Matt Svanson threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief. Justin Bruihl collected one out. Riley O’Brien tossed a scoreless ninth.
The Cardinals took a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Thomas Saggese and Nathan Church singled and both advanced on a passed ball. Iván Herrera drew a walk. Alec Burleson plated Saggese and Church on a single.
The Nationals scored their only run of the game in the third to cut the lead to 2-1. St. Louis made it 3-1 in the fifth on a solo home run by Jordan Walker.
The Cardinals extended their lead to 4-1 in the seventh. JJ Wetherholt and Herrera walked. Burleson singled to score Wetherholt.
St. Louis made it 6-1 in the in the ninth. Herrera was hit by a pitch. Burleson walked. Walker drew a walk to load the bases. Yohel Pozo singled to bring Herrera and Burleson home.
The Cardinals scored six runs on eight hits. Burleson was 3-for-4 with three RBI. Pozo drove in two.
The Cardinals edged the Red Sox by a 3-2 score at Busch Stadium on Friday. Starter and former Red Sox pitcher Dustin May went six innings, gave up two runs, one earned, on four hits and fanned four to earn his first win as a Cardinal.
Ryne Stanek, JoJo Romero and Riley O’Brien each tossed a scoreless inning. O’Brien earned his fourth save.
The Cardinals went ahead 1-0 in the second inning. Ramón Urías doubled and later scored on a sac fly by Victor Scott.
Boston took a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning. In the fifth, St. Louis came back with two runs to lead 3-2. Jordan Walker singled. Urías walked. Thomas Saggese plated Walker on a single. Saggese and Urías advanced on a wild pitch. Urías scored on a sac fly by José Fermín.
The offense scored three runs on eight hits. Walker was 2-for-4.
The Cardinals took a late-inning pounding from the Red Sox in a 7-1 loss on Saturday at Busch Stadium. Kyle Leahy started for St. Louis. The right hander pitched four innings, gave up two runs on three hits, walked three and struck out two. Leahy took his second loss of the season.
Gordon Graceffo relieved Leahy and threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Justin Bruihl hurled a scoreless inning. Matt Svanson surrendered five runs in an inning of work. Jared Shuster tossed the final 2/3 of a scoreless inning.
Boston went up 2-0 in the fourth inning. St. Louis cut the lead to one run in the eighth on a solo home run by Jordan Walker.
The Red Sox had a field day with Svanson, who gifted them five runs in the ninth to put a close game out of reach.
The Cardinals scored one run on five hits. Walker had the only extra base hit and the only RBI. The offense was 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base.
The Cardinals fell to the Red Sox in a 9-3 rout on Sunday at Busch Stadium. This was the first home series loss of the season.
Starter Andre Pallante pitched five innings, gave up seven runs on 10 hits, walked one and struck out two. Pallante took the loss.
George Soriano relieved Pallante and threw a scoreless sixth. Jared Shuster surrendered two runs in three innings of relief.
Boston took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, then added a third run in the top of the second.
In the home second, a solo home run by Jordan Walker cut the lead to 3-1. This was Walker’s seventh home run this season.
The Red Sox posted a four-run fourth inning to extend their lead to 7-1. The Cardinals made it 7-2 in the sixth. Iván Herrera walked. Alec Burleson and Walker singled to load the bases. Herrera scored on a sac fly by Nolan Gorman, but that was it.
The Cardinals shrunk the lead to 7-3 in the eighth on a solo home run by Burleson. The Red Sox added two more runs in the ninth for the final tally of 9-3.
The Cardinals scored three runs on seven hits. Walker and Burleson were each 2-for-4 with an RBI.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals had another 3-3 week. They won 2-of-3 from the Nationals but lost 2-of-3 to the Red Sox. The team is now 8-7 on the season and tied for third place in the Division with the Brewers. The Pirates stand in first place, just a half game ahead of the Reds. The Cubs are firmly in last place, though they beat the Pirates on Sunday. The Brewers have lost five in a row.
Jordan Walker is the top offensive performer on the team by far with an OPS of 1.367 over the last seven days and 25 at bats. Nathan Church has an OPS of 1.089 in seven at bats for the week but that is a result of a two-run home run he hit against the Nationals. Reserve infielder Ramon Urías is the only other player with an OPS above .900.
Underperformers for the week include JJ Wetherholt (.484), Pedro Pagés (.472), Victor Scott (.381) and Yohel Pozo (.334).
Walker cannot carry this offense. Players like Wetherholt, Iván Herrera, and Nolan Gorman need to step up their offensive game. Masyn Winn has struggled, but he has had multiple minor injuries. The shortstop is currently out of the lineup after being hit by a pitch on Friday.
Despite the woes of the offense, the pitching is far worse. After two terrible outings, Dustin May had a decent performance this week. So did Michael McGreevy. However, Matthew Liberatore, Kyle Leahy, and Andre Pallante did not pitch well.
The bullpen is a serious problem. Riley O’Brien and JoJo Romero have been their usual effective selves so far. For the rest it is hit or miss from game to game, and in some instances, it is mostly miss. Matt Svanson has been awful over the last week, and something just less than awful since the season started. Chris Roycroft was a problem that has been removed to Memphis. Matt Pushard is currently not a problem because he is on the injured list.
To put it bluntly, the bullpen is a hot mess. To make matters worse, there is no help in Memphis that is ready and available to pitch at the major league level. Tink Hence is simply not ready, and Luis Gastelum, who some fans have been asking about, is not on the 40-man roster. Others who are on the 40-man roster are not likely to be effective or are starters.
The Cardinals continue their homestand to begin the week against the Cleveland Guardians. The Cardinals are facing a lot of American League teams to start the season, which compounds the problem because these are teams they don’t see more than once a season (except for the Kansas City Royals).
The next road trip will be to one more American League team, the Astros, and the Miami Marlins.
The Cardinals received their PTNBL (player to be named later) from the Sonny Gray trade this past week in the form of RHP Patrick Galle. The 22-year-old was the 2025 17th round pick by Boston from the University of Mississippi. His brief stint in Boston’s minor league system was at their Single-A affiliate, the Salem Red Sox, where he pitched 7 1/3 innings with a 4.91 ERA. As a Cardinal, Galle is off to a nice start closing for Class-A Palm Beach.
OF Lars Nootbaar (heel surgery) will continue his rehab for his Haglund’s Deformities surgery on both heels. Nootbaar was placed on the 60-day injured list on March 25. Jeff Jones reported that the outfielder was in St. Louis over the weekend and is progressing with the hope he can be activated close to when eligible. Nootbaar is not yet hitting live pitching, however.
RHP Hunter Dobbins was placed on the 15-day injured list on March 25, retroactive to March 22, as he continues to rehab from his right knee ACL surgery. Dobbins was sent on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds on March 31. He made his second rehab start on April 7. Recall date from the rehab assignment is yet to be determined.
LHP Matt Pushard was placed on the 15-day injured list on March 31 retroactive to March 30. Right knee patellar tendinitis. The placement on the injured list was motivated by imaging done on the knee indicating multiple days of unavailability. Pushard was replaced on the roster by RHP Gordon Graceffo.
SS Masyn Winn returned to the lineup following hip soreness, only to come out of the lineup again when he was hit by a pitch on his lower leg in Friday’s game with the Boston Red Sox. Winn did not return to the lineup for the remainder of the weekend.
Looking Ahead
The Cardinals begin a three-game series with the Cleveland Guardians at Busch Stadium on Monday. Matthew Liberatore is set to make the Monday start, followed by Michael McGreevy on Tuesday, and Dustin May on Wednesday.
After a travel day on Thursday April 16, the Cardinals play a weekend series in Houston with the Astros, followed by three against the Marlins in Miami.
The team returns from its second road trip for a brief homestand. The Cardinals play the Seattle Mariners from Friday, April 24 through Sunday, April 26.
The Cardinals will end the month of April on the road with a four-game series in Pittsburgh. The team returns to St. Louis to begin May with a weekend series against the Dodgers.
Blast from the Past
In this week’s Blast from the Past, we discuss Rule 5.05 (b), better known as the “hit by pitch” or “Hit batsman” rule of major league baseball. The hit-by-pitch came into the news this past week, when former Cub, Cardinal, and current Red Sox 1B Willson Contreras made headlines complaining about the frequency of his being hit by a pitch from Milwaukee Brewers pitchers.
Contreras has been hit by a pitch by Brewers pitchers 24 times over his career. Six of those were from Brandon Woodruff. After the 24th hit by pitch, Contreras was quoted as saying he would “take one of them out” if he was hit again.
While Cardinal fans love Contreras, as the standing ovation he received on Friday demonstrates, he has the reputation of being combative at times and he tends to crowd the plate, making pitching him inside difficult. He was hit by a pitch from Kyle Leahy in Saturday’s game against the Red Sox.
The history of the “hit by pitch” rule is that it was first recorded as a stat in 1884. The rule, which was instituted in 1887, states that a batter is awarded first base if he is (1) touched by a pitch outside the strike zone anywhere other than on the bat (including the uniform); (2) attempts to avoid the pitch; and (3) does not swing at the pitch. A hit by pitch is awarded also in the case where the ball hits the ground first and then hits the batter.
A hit by pitch can cause an injury sufficient to take a player out of the game, as happened to Cardinal shortstop Masyn Winn on Friday. Winn did not return to the lineup for the remainder of the weekend.
In one unfortunate case in the history of the game, a hit by pitch caused death. On August 16, 1920, Cleveland Indians shortstop Ray Chapman was hit in the head by a pitch from New York Yankees pitcher Carl Mays. The pitch fractured Chapman’s skull and he died the following morning. This was prior to the introduction of batting helmets.
Serious injury can also result from a hit by pitch. On August 18, 1967, Red Sox outfielder Tony Conigliaro was hit in the left eye by a pitch thrown by Angels pitcher Jack Hamilton. Conigliaro nearly lost sight in the eye and his cheekbone was shattered. He was unable to play for over a year and his performance was never the same.
Other players who suffered serious injury include Mickey Cochrane of the Tigers, Kirby Puckett of the Twins, and Mike Piazza of the Mets. Piazza was hit by Julián Tavárez of the Cardinals in 2005 and suffered a serious concussion.
Other related stats include the all-time record of a hitter hit by a pitch which belongs to Hughie Jennings, who was hit 287 times in the early 20th Century; the modern-era record belongs to Craig Biggio, who was hit 285 times.
The all-time record for a pitcher hitting batters is Gus Weyhing with 277 (1887-1901). The Modern-Era leader is Walter Johnson with 205.
Former Cardinal Harrison Bader has the distinction of being the only major league player to ever record two RBI on two HBPs in the same game, which occurred on April 11, 2019.
Ten major league players have been hit twice in the same inning: Willard Schmidt (Reds), Frank Thomas (Mets), Andrés Gallaraga (Rockies), Brady Anderson (Orioles), Mike Hessman (Tigers), José Guillén (Giants), David DeJesus (Cubs), Brandon Moss (Athletics), Francisco Lindor (Mets) and C.J. Abrams (Nationals).
Through 15 games this season, Cardinals batters have been hit nine times, no one more than twice. St. Louis pitchers’ offerings have hit 10 opposing batters in 2026, with no one throwing more than two.
So, Contreras has a lot of company.
Now available – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its ninth year. It includes 275 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including over five dozen all-new player scouting reports by Kyle Reis. Order your PDF or spiral-bound printed book today.
All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
photo: Jack Gurevitch (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 1-3 on Friday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Palm Beach 3B Jack Gurevitch, was 3-for-5 with two RBI. Other standouts include Luis Pino, José Suárez, Tai Peete, Carlos Linarez, Joshua Báez, Blaze Jordan and Colton Ledbetter.
Results for games played on Friday, April 10, 2026.
The Memphis Redbirds were defeated by the Knights in extra innings in Charlotte on Friday. Bruce Zimmermann took the mound for Memphis. The left hander pitched five innings, gave up two runs on four hits, and fanned seven.
Skylar Hales relieved and surrendered four runs in 2/3 of an inning. Gerson Moreno relinquished two runs in 1 1/3 innings. Ryan Fernandez hurled a scoreless eighth. Chris Roycroft yielded one unearned run in the final 1 2/3 innings to take the loss.
Charlotte scored first with one run on the board in the third inning. They made it 2-0 in the fourth. In the sixth, the Knights ran up the score to 7-0 with five runs scored.
Memphis launched a comeback in the top of the seventh inning, scoring seven runs on four long balls to tie the game. Ramon Mendoza thumped a solo home run. Brody Moore doubled and Joshua Báez hit a two-run home run.
Blaze Jordan followed with a solo home run. Leonardo Bernal singled. Nelson Velázquez walked, and Colton Ledbetter blasted a three-run home run to tie the game at 7-7.
The Knights recaptured a 8-7 lead in the bottom of the seventh, but the Redbirds tied it again in the eighth without the benefit of a hit or walk. Bryan Torres and Jimmy Crooks reached on errors. Torres scored on a wild pitch.
As the game went into extra innings, Memphis failed to score in the top of the 10th. Charlotte scored the ghost runner on second on a single against Roycroft to win in a 9-8 walk off.
The Redbirds scored eight runs on 13 hits. Báez was 2-for-6 with two RBI. Jordan was 2-for-6 with an RBI. Velázquez was 2-for-4. Ledbetter had three RBI. Mendoza was 2-for-5 with an RBI.
Bernal and Jordan each stole a base. Moore was caught stealing.
Memphis is 10-3 on the season.
Saturday’s game: at Charlotte, Brycen Mautz LHP (0-1, 6.75) vs. Tanner McDougal RHP (0-0, 2.00) 5:05 CT.
The Double-A Cardinals lost to the Drillers by a 5-2 score at Hammons Field on Friday. Starter Braden Davis pitched 3 2/3 innings, gave up five runs on five hits, walked one and fanned eighth. Davis took the loss.
Nelfy Ynfante relieved Davis and threw 4 1/3 no-hit scoreless innings. Hunter Hayes tossed a scoreless ninth.
Tulsa scored two runs in the third inning, and three in the fourth to lead 5-0.
Springfield was held scoreless until they broke through in the eighth with one run. Noah Mendlinger reached on an error and advanced to second. Jeremy Rivas plated Mendlinger on a single.
The Cardinals added a final run in the ninth to shrink the final score to 5-2. Trey Paige walked. Graysen Tarlow singled. Paige scored on a double by Carlos Linarez.
The High-A Chiefs fell to the visiting Cubs by an 8-6 score on Friday night at Dozer Park. Leonel Sequera made the start and went five innings, gave up five runs on five hits, walked two and fanned four. Sequera took the loss.
Aaron Holiday relieved Sequera and surrendered three runs in two innings. Jawilme Ramírez tossed the final two scoreless innings with five strikeouts including four in the eighth.
FOUR STRIKEOUTS IN ONE INNING?!?!
Jawilme Ramirez did the unthinkable in the eighth. He’s the first Chiefs pitcher to do it since Alex Cornwell on April 13, 2023. pic.twitter.com/ykdHuToMB7
In the ninth, Peoria rallied for four runs to bring the final score to 8-6. Rainiel Rodriguez and Won-Bin Cho walked. Flores was hit by a pitch. Suárez singled to plate Rodriguez. Cho scored on a single by Miguel Villarroel. Jose Cordoba was hit by a pitch. Tre Richardson grounded into a force out and Suárez came home.
The Peoria offense scored six runs on 11 hits. Suárez was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Peete was 2-for-6 with an RBI. Flores was 3-for-4 with two runs scored.
Cho stole his fifth base of the season. Flores and Peete were caught stealing. Peete and Cade McGee each made a throwing error. Villarroel had a fielding miscue. McGee had a passed ball.
Peoria is 3-4 on the season.
Saturday’s game: vs. South Bend, Blake Aita RHP (0-0, 8.10) vs. Cole Reynolds LHP (0-0, 0.00) 6:05 CT
The Class-A Cardinals beat the Marauders in a 7-3 game in Bradenton on Friday. Starter Cade Crossland pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings, allowed one hit, walked six and fanned seven.
Ruben Menes relieved Crossland and threw 3 1/3 perfect innings with three strikeouts to earn the win. Getting just two outs in the eighth, Robbie Knowles surrendered three runs. Jovi Gálvez tossed the final 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
The game was scoreless until after Pirates prospect Seth Hernandez left after four no-hit innings with seven strikeouts. In the sixth, the Cardinals scored two runs against the Marauders’ bullpen. Luis Pino led off with a ground-rule double. Heriberto Caraballo and Ryan Mitchell walked to load the bases. Jack Gurevitch singled to plate Pino and Caraballo.
The Beach Birds added two runs in the seventh to extend the lead to 4-0. Pino doubled and scored on a single by Caraballo. Caraballo came home on a single by Jonathan Mejía.
In the top of the eighth, Palm Beah added three runs to lead 7-0. Gurevitch and Yordalin Peña singled. Ian Petrutz reached on an error. Chase Heath singled to score Gurevitch. Pino reached on an error that scored Peña and Petrutz.
Bradenton got on the board with a three-run bottom of the eighth, to shrink the lead to 7-3 before Galvez righted the ship.
The offense scored seven runs on 10 hits. Gurevitch was 3-for-5 with two RBI. Pino was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Caraballo scored two runs.
Petrutz and Mejía were both caught stealing. Pino had an outfield assist at home plate.
The Cardinals are 5-2 on the season.
Saturday’s game: at Bradenton, RHP Jack Martinez (0-1, 0.00) vs. TBD 5:30 CT.
Now available – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its ninth year. It includes 275 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including over five dozen all-new player scouting reports by Kyle Reis. Order your PDF or spiral-bound printed book today.
All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
photo: Ty Van Dyke (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 1-3 on Wednesday as the pitching yielded 33 runs. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Palm Beach starter Ty Van Dyke, threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings with six strikeouts. Other standouts include Tai Peete, Mason Burns and Dominic Freeberger.
Results for games played on Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
The Redbirds lost to the Knights by a 7-3 score at AutoZone Park on Wednesday.
Starter Quinn Mathews pitched 2 2/3 innings, gave up seven runs on five hits, including two home runs, walked three and fanned six. After two strong innings, it fell apart for Mathews in the third as the prospect took the loss.
With the good, sometimes you have to post the bad. Here's Korey Lee crushing a 3-run homer off of Quinn Mathews, who threw him a center-cut 84 mph hanging changeup pic.twitter.com/KeHDVUshLL
— Kyle Reis, 58% Neanderthal (@kyler416) April 8, 2026
Tink Hence relieved Mathews and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. However, he first allowed two runners inherited from Mathews to score. One was via a single and the other via a bases-loaded walk.
Chris Roycroft hurled a scoreless inning. Packy Naughton entered to relieve Roycroft. The lefty, who has already had two Tommy John surgeries, threw four pitches and was removed due to an apparent arm injury.
— Kyle Reis, 58% Neanderthal (@kyler416) April 9, 2026
Ian Bedell stepped in and threw two scoreless innings of relief. Scott Blewett tossed a scoreless eighth.
Memphis took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. César Prieto began the game with a double. Joshua Báez singled to score Prieto. Leonardo Bernal reached on an error and Báez came home.
Charlotte put up seven runs in the third inning to take a 7-2 lead. Neither team scored again until Memphis added a third run in the ninth on a solo home run by Bernal.
BOOOOOOM!! LEO BERNAL CRUSHES HIS FIRST AAA HOMER!!! 96.1 mph off of the bat, 367 ft shot pic.twitter.com/cTtf8GQ9pt
— Kyle Reis, 58% Neanderthal (@kyler416) April 9, 2026
Memphis scored three runs on three hits. The offense was 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left four men on base.
Báez stole his third base of the season. Matt Koperniak had an outfield assist at second base.
Memphis is 9-2 on the season.
Thursday’s game: at Charlotte, RHP Richard Fitts (1-0, 1.74) vs. Duncan Davitt RHP (0-1, 7.88) 6:04 CT.
The Cardinals fell to the Drillers by the score of 10-4 on Wednesday. Starter Liam Doyle pitched three innings, gave up six runs, four earned, on eight hits, walked one and struck out three. The top pitching prospect in the system took the loss in his 2026 debut.
Randel Clemente relieved Doyle and surrendered two runs in 1 2/3 innings. Edwin Nuñez relinquished two runs in an inning of work. Ryan Murphy hurled 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Mason Burns tossed a scoreless ninth with a walk in between three strikeouts.
Mason Burns goes to his filthy slider to record his first strikeout of the season pic.twitter.com/ol3l5ZvQpp
— Kyle Reis, 58% Neanderthal (@kyler416) April 9, 2026
Tulsa took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, then added four runs in the top of the second.
Springfield answered in the home half of the second with four runs to cut the lead to 5-4. Dakota Harris and Travis Honeyman walked. Trey Paige plated Harris on a single. Honeyman scored on a double by Graysen Tarlow. Paige came home on a ground out by Jeremy Rivas. Jon Jon Gazdar drove in Tarlow on a sac fly.
Grayson Tarlow crushes this one. It's on a line and off of the wall as he doubles in a run pic.twitter.com/TKnR92B7ft
— Kyle Reis, 58% Neanderthal (@kyler416) April 9, 2026
Tulsa continued to add on to their lead with one run in each of the third, fourth, and fifth innings, and two in the sixth. Springfield was held scoreless for the remainder of the game.
The Cardinals scored four runs on four hits. The offense was 2-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base. Tarlow had the only extra base hit.
Miguel Ugueto stole his third base of the season. Tarlow and Honeyman each made a throwing error. Tarlow had a passed ball.
Springfield is 4-1 on the season.
Thursday’s game: vs. Tulsa, SHP Jurrangelo Cijtnje (1-0, 0.00) vs. Adam Serwinoski LHP (0-1, 12.27) 6:35 CT.
The Chiefs were blown out by the Cubs by a 13-1 score at Dozer Park on Wednesday. Starter Nolan Sparks pitched 3 1/3 innings, gave up three runs, two earned, on six hits and fanned seven. Sparks took the loss.
Sam Brodersen relieved Sparks and surrendered four runs in 1 1/3 innings. Bobby Olsen relinquished four runs in 2 1/3 innings. D.J. Carpenter allowed two more runs in the eighth. Dominic Freeberger struck out the side in the ninth as the only Chiefs hurler to be unscored upon.
Dominic Freeberger with another strikeout. He strikes out the side in order in the 9th pic.twitter.com/xzeUwlDIu9
— Kyle Reis, 58% Neanderthal (@kyler416) April 9, 2026
The Cubs went up 2-0 in the third inning.
Peoria scored its only run in the bottom of the third. José Cordoba reached on an error, stole second, advanced to third on another error and came home on a double by Tai Peete.
Yordy Herrera relieved Van Dyke and got the final out of the sixth inning. Alex Breckheimer surrendered three runs in four innings of relief, taking a blown save, but later receiving the win.
This game was scoreless until Palm Beach put up three runs in the fifth inning. Luis Pino reached on an error and stole second base. Trevor Haskins plated Pino on a double. Ryan Mitchell singled and stole second base. Haskins scored on a wild pitch, and Mitchell advanced to third. Jack Gurevitch walked. Mitchell came home on a balk.
Bradenton tied the game with a three-run eighth inning. The game went into extras.
In the top of the 10th, with Gurevitch on second base, Ryan Weingartner singled to advance Gurevitch to third. Alex Birge drew a walk to load the bases. Cameron Nickens walked, forcing Gurevitch home with the lead run.
It wasn’t easy for the Cardinals in the home 10th, but they prevailed after third baseman Christian Martin threw out the tying run at the plate. The game ended on the last of Breckheimer’s five strikeouts.
The Cardinals scored four runs on five hits. Haskins’ RBI double was the only extra base hit.
Pino, Mitchell, and Haskins each stole a base. Van Dyke picked a runner off first.
The Cardinals are 3-2 on the season.
Thursday’s game: at Bradenton, RH Ethan Young (0-0, 2.45) vs. TBD 5:30 CT.
Now available – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its ninth year. It includes 275 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including over five dozen all-new player scouting reports by Kyle Reis. Order your PDF or spiral-bound printed book today.
All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 4-0 on Tuesday. TCN’s Player of the Day, Memphis starter Hunter Dobbins, pitched 5 1/3 one-run innings with seven strikeouts. Other standouts include Bryan Torres, César Prieto, Jimmy Crooks, Zach Levenson, Rainiel Rodriguez, Jalin Flores, Anyelo Encarnacion, Yordalin Peña, Ian Petrutz and Ryan Mitchell.
Results for games played on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.
The Redbirds defeated the Charlotte Knights by a 9-4 margin in Charlotte on Tuesday. St. Louis’ Hunter Dobbins took the mound for Memphis as he rehabs from off-season knee surgery. The right-hander pitched 5 1/3 innings, gave up one run on five hits, walked one and fanned seven to earn his second win.
— Kyle Reis, 58% Neanderthal (@kyler416) April 7, 2026
In his Triple-A debut, Hancel Rincon relieved Dobbins and surrendered three runs in two innings. Ryan Fernandez hurled 2/3 of a scoreless inning. Gerson Moreno tossed a scoreless ninth.
Memphis took a 1-0 in the first inning. Bryan Torres singled and scored on a double by Joshua Báez. The Redbirds added two more runs in the top of the fifth. Nelson Velázquez thumped a solo home run.
Cesar Prieto keeps crushing the ball!! Another homer for the lefty swinging Cesar, 99.4 mph off of the bat, 385 ft shot pic.twitter.com/T7DcMBaf6G
— Kyle Reis, 58% Neanderthal (@kyler416) April 8, 2026
Leo Bernal, Colton Ledbetter and Velázquez walked. Bligh Madris flied into a force out as Bernal scored, with Velázquez out at second. Ledbetter came home on a sac fly by Torres. Báez was hit by a pitch. Jimmy Crooks blasted a three-run home run to left center field.
Charlotte responded with one run in the seventh and two runs in the eighth to bring the final score to 9-4.
The offense scored nine runs on 10 hits. Torres was 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Prieto was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Blaze Jordan was 2-for-5. Crooks had three RBI.
Torres stole his third base of the season.
Wednesday’s game: at Charlotte, LHP Quinn Mathews (0-0, 0.00) vs. Noah Schultz LHP (2-0, 1.00) 5:35 CT
In their home opener, the Cardinals beat the Tulsa Drillers by the score of 8-5 at Hammons Field on Tuesday. In his 2026 debut, Chen-Wei Lin took the mound for Springfield. The right-hander pitched 2 2/3 innings, gave up one run on three hits, walked four and fanned five.
Hunter Hayes relieved Lin and surrendered two runs in 1 1/3 innings. Brandt Thompson relinquished two runs, one earned, in 3 1/3 innings and received the win. Austin Love tossed the final 1 2/3 scoreless innings with all five outs via the strikeout for his first save.
— Kyle Reis, 58% Neanderthal (@kyler416) April 8, 2026
Tulsa went up 1-0 in the first inning.
Springfield answered with a six-run second inning. Noah Mendlinger singled. Dakota Harris walked. Miguel Ugueto singled to plate Mendlinger. Travis Honeyman walked. Jeremy Rivas singled to drive in Harris and Ugueto. Jon Jon Gazdar walked. Chase Davis walked and Honeyman came home. Zach Levenson doubled to score Rivas and Gazdar.
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) April 8, 2026
The Drillers cut the lead to 6-3 with two runs in the top of the fourth.
The Cardinals responded with a run in the home half of the inning to increase the lead to 7-3. Davis doubled. Levenson walked. Mendlinger singled to score Davis.
Tulsa added a run in the top of the fifth to make it 7-4 but Springfield came back with a run in the sixth to regain the four-run advantage at 8-4. Ugueto drew a walk and advanced to second on a ground out by Honeyman. Gazdar drove in Ugueto on a single. The Drillers added one more run in the seventh to shrink the lead to 8-5.
The offense scored eight runs on nine hits. Levenson was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Mendlinger was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Ugueto was 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Rivas had two RBI.
Ugueto stole two bases. Rivas made a fielding error. Davis had an outfield assist at third base.
Springfield is 4-0 on the season and will play Tulsa through Sunday.
Wednesday’s game: vs. Tulsa, Liam Doyle LHP (0-0, 0.00) vs. Luke Fox LHP (1-0, 1.50) 6:35 CT.
Zack Showalter relieved Fajardo and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the win. Jason Savacool tossed the final three scoreless innings to earn his first save.
— Kyle Reis, 58% Neanderthal (@kyler416) April 8, 2026
The Cubs took the initial lead of 1-0 in the top of the first inning. Peoria answered with seven runs in the bottom of the inning to go up 7-1.
Tai Peete drew a walk and stole second base. Rainiel Rodriguez singled to score Peete. Josh Kross followed with a single. Won-Bin Cho doubled to plate Rodriguez. Cade McGee walked. Jalin Flores doubled to score Kross and Cho. Anyelo Encarnacion hit a three-run home run.
THREE-RUN SHOT, ANYELO ENCARNACION!!! He's off to a nice little start for Peoria pic.twitter.com/E07ihPKaEe
— Kyle Reis, 58% Neanderthal (@kyler416) April 8, 2026
The score remained 7-1 until the seventh inning, when the Chiefs added on three more runs. Rodriguez singled, stole second base and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Jesús Baéz singled and Rodriguez scored. Kross and Baéz advanced on a wild pitch. Cho walked. Flores walked and Kross scored. Baéz came home on a sac fly by José Suárez.
— Kyle Reis, 58% Neanderthal (@kyler416) April 8, 2026
Peoria scored 10 runs on nine hits. Rodriguez was 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Kross was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Flores and Encarnacion each had three RBI.
Peete and Rodriguez each stole a base. Baéz, Peete, and Suárez were caught stealing. Peete was picked off first base.
Peoria is 2-2 on the season and plays South Bend through Sunday.
Wednesday’s game: vs. South Bend, Nolan Sparks RHP (1-0, 0.00) vs. Brooks Caple RHP (0-0, 0.00) 6:35 CT.
Jovi Gálvez relieved Hansen and got the final out of the third inning. Jacob Odle surrendered five runs, none earned, in 1 1/3 innings. Robbie Knowles hurled 2/3 of a scoreless inning. Kaden Echeman relinquished one run in 1/3 of an inning. Antoni Cuello threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings, and Liam Best tossed the final two scoreless innings to earn the win.
Liam Best gets the strikeout with a 94 mph fastball, Chase Heath throws the runner out trying to take 2nd pic.twitter.com/LecegHtE0U
— Kyle Reis, 58% Neanderthal (@kyler416) April 8, 2026
Bradenton scored the first run of the game in the third inning to take the lead 1-0. They added five runs in the fifth.
The Beach Birds came back with three runs in the top of the sixth to cut the lead to 6-3. Jack Gurevitch drew a walk. Ryan Weingartner and Yordalin Peña singled to load the bases. Peoria rehabber Ian Petrutz followed with a single, and the bases cleared on the hit and a throwing error.
The Marauders answered with a run in the home sixth to extend their lead to 7-3.
In the eighth, Palm Beach tacked on another run to make the score 7-4. Jonathan Mejía walked. Peña hit a ground rule double. Petrutz grounded out and Mejía scored.
The Cardinals put up four runs in the ninth to take the lead 8-7. Chase Heath drew a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Christian Martin walked. Ryan Mitchell doubled to score Heath. Martin came home on a ground out by Gurevitch. Mejía walked. Peña doubled to drive in Mitchell and Mejía.
Yordalin Pena Doubles over the head of the right fielder and drives in two, giving Palm Beach the lead in the top of the 9th. This is 104.5 mph and on a line pic.twitter.com/P8eQ59OQGc
— Kyle Reis, 58% Neanderthal (@kyler416) April 8, 2026
The Palm Beach bullpen held the lead. The offense scored eight runs on 10 hits. Peña was 2-for-3 with two RBI. Petrutz had three RBI. Mitchell was 3-for-5 with an RBI. Mejía was 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Some really terrific hitting by Ryan Mitchell, taking the breaking pitch to the opposite field for a double, driving in a run pic.twitter.com/y7Lwwg3pNf
— Kyle Reis, 58% Neanderthal (@kyler416) April 8, 2026
Mitchell, Mejía, Heath, and Weingartner each stole a base. Heath and Odle made throwing errors. Weingartner had a fielding miscue. Peña had an outfield assist at second base.
The Cardinals are 2-2 in the early season and play Bradenton through Sunday.
Wednesday’s game: at Bradenton, TBD vs. TBD 10:00 am CT.
Now available – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its ninth year. It includes 275 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including over five dozen all-new player scouting reports by Kyle Reis. Order your PDF or spiral-bound printed book today.
All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
photo: Jordan Walker (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals won the home series over the Mets but lost the set in Detroit. Right-fielder Jordan Walker is off to a strong start offensively and defensively. Our history section highlights key Opening Day events in team annals.
The St. Louis Cardinals fell to the New York Mets by the score of 4-2 in the first of a three-game series at Busch Stadium.
Starter Kyle Leahy pitched five innings, gave up four runs on eight hits, walked two and struck out one. Leahy took the loss.
Matt Svanson and George Soriano each threw two scoreless innings of relief.
The Mets went up 1-0 in the top of the first inning. The Cardinals quickly tied it in the bottom half of the inning. JJ Wetherholt walked and later scored on a single by Alec Burleson.
New York regained the lead with a run in the fifth and extended the lead to 4-1 with a two-run top of the sixth.
In the home sixth, St. Louis put up their second and final run on a solo home run by Nolan Gorman.
The offense scored two runs on five hits. Burleson went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
The Cardinals shut out the Mets by a 3-0 score at Busch Stadium on Tuesday. The win evened the series at 1-1.
Andre Pallante took the mound for St. Louis. The right hander pitched five scoreless innings with three hits allowed. He walked three and struck out three to earn the win.
Gordon Graceffo relieved Pallante and threw a scoreless sixth. Ryne Stanek, JoJo Romero, and Riley O’Brien each tossed a scoreless inning of relief.
The Cardinals took a 2-0 lead in the third inning. Victor Scott led off with a double. JJ Wetherholt singled. Iván Herrera drove in both runners on a double.
On Wednesday, the Cardinals edged the Mets in extra innings to take the home series. St. Louis starter Matthew Liberatore pitched six innings, gave up one run on three hits, walked one and struck out two. Liberatore took a no-decision.
Ryne Stanek relieved Liberatore and threw 2/3 scoreless innings. JoJo Romero followed with 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Riley O’Brien and Justin Bruihl each hurled a scoreless frame. Chris Roycroft got the first out of the 11th and Gordon Graceffo ended with the final two outs to earn the win.
The game was a pitchers’ duel for the first five innings. In the top of the sixth, the Mets broke through to lead 1-0.
The Cardinals tied the game in the bottom half of the inning. JJ Wetherholt singled and Iván Herrera walked. After Alec Burleson struck out and Masyn Winn popped out, Nolan Gorman singled to score Wetherholt.
The game remained 1-1 through regulation. After neither team scored in the 10th, and the Mets failed to score in the top of the 11th, Wetherholt started the bottom of the 11th on second base. Herrera was intentionally walked. Burleson grounded into a double play, leaving Wetherholt on third base with two outs. Masyn Winn came to the plate and popped a fly ball into shallow right field. Two Mets fielders failed to catch the ball and Wetherholt came home for the walk off win.
The Cardinals offense scored two runs on five hits. There were no extra base hits. Wetherholt scored both Cardinals runs.
Winn stole his first base of the season. Gorman made a fielding error and Pedro Pagés was charged with catcher’s interference. Liberatore picked Francisco Lindor off first base.
The Cardinals were shut out by the Tigers in the first of a three-game weekend series in Detroit on Friday. It was the Tigers’ home opener.
Starter Michael McGreevy pitched 4 2/3 innings, gave up three runs on seven hits, and fanned four. McGreevy took the loss.
Justin Bruihl relieved McGreevy and threw 2/3 scoreless innings. George Soriano surrendered one run in 2/3 innings. Gordon Graceffo and Chris Roycroft each tossed a scoreless inning out of the bullpen.
The Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning and didn’t look back. They added a run in the fifth and another in the sixth.
The offense for St. Louis went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base against Framber Valdez and the Tigers bullpen. They scattered five hits, none for extra bases.
Jordan Walker prevented a run by throwing out a runner at home plate.
The Tigers destroyed the Cardinals in the second game of the series with 11 runs against the Cardinals pitching staff.
Starter Dustin May was responsible for seven of the 11 Tigers runs. The right hander pitched only 3 1/3 innings with seven runs and seven hits allowed, two walks and four strikeouts. This was May’s second loss of the season.
Justin Bruihl relieved May and allowed one run on no hits. Matt Svanson surrendered a run on three hits. Chris Roycroft relinquished the final two runs in the eighth.
The Tigers took the lead 3-0 in the first inning. The Cardinals managed one run in the top of the third when Iván Herrera doubled and scored on a single by Jordan Walker.
Detroit answered with a fourth run in the bottom of the third, then added three in the fourth to lead 7-1.
The bright spot for St. Louis occurred in the top of the fifth. JJ Wetherholt was hit by a pitch. Herrera drew a walk. Alec Burleson doubled to score Wetherholt. Nolan Gorman walked to load the bases. After a pitching change, Jordan Walker came to the plate and hit a 459-foot grand slam to bring the Cardinals within one run at 7-6.
The elation didn’t last, as the bullpen was leaky. The Tigers scored one run in the home half of that inning, then added three more in the seventh and eighth innings for an 11-6 lead. The last four runs were left unanswered by St. Louis.
Walker went 3-for-4 with five RBI as the only Cardinal with multiple hits.
Walker also stole a base, and had an outfield assist at second base. Wetherholt also stole a bag. Victor Scott made a fielding error.
The Cardinals avoided the sweep in Detroit, as they beat the Tigers 5-3 on Sunday night in Comerica Park.
Starter Kyle Leahy pitched five innings, gave up two runs on five hits, walked three and fanned four to earn his first win.
George Soriano relieved Leahy but was ineffective. The right hander surrendered a run in 1/3 of an inning, JoJo Romero came and cleaned up the mess, going 1 2/3 scoreless innings to save the bullpen. Ryne Stanek and Riley O’Brien each tossed a scoreless inning with O’Brien earning his second save.
Detroit took the early lead with two runs in the third on a Kerry Carpenter two-run home run.
St. Louis fought back to take the lead with a four spot in the fifth. Nolan Gorman led off with a single and Thomas Saggese walked. Nathan Church grounded into a force out, eliminating Saggese at second. Pedro Pagés drove in Gorman from third on a single. Victor Scott hit a sac bunt and reached on a throwing error by the pitcher. Church scored, Pagés advanced to third and Scott went to second on the error. Iván Herrera singled to score Pagés and Scott. The Cardinals led 4-2.
The Tigers came back with a run in the sixth to shrink the lead to 4-3. In the eighth, JJ Wetherholt singled to lead off the inning. Herrera and Jordan Walker walked to load the bases. Nolan Gorman tapped a sac fly to left and Wetherholt came home for the fifth Cardinals run.
The bullpen held the lead through regulation and the Cardinals salvaged one win from the road series.
The Cardinals scored five runs on six hits. Herrera had two RBI. There were no extra base hits, as the team won with small ball.
Victor Scott was caught stealing for the first time this season.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals ended the week with a 3-3 record. They won 2-of -3 from the Mets and lost 2-of-3 in Detroit. They are 5-4 in the early season and are in fourth place in the Division, two games back of the Brewers and one game in front of the last place Cubs. After three series played, there is nothing really to see here.
Iván Herrera has an OPS of .982 over the last seven days, while Jordan Walker leads with an OPS of .949 since opening day. The offense has been sluggish at times and ranks 24th in baseball in OPS since the season started. This is something to watch.
Pitching is the main worry currently. The Cardinals pitchers rank 26th in ERA, 30th in strikeouts and sixth in walks since the season started. The bullpen has been especially ineffective. Chris Roycroft has already been sent back to the minors, and another reliever, Matt Pushard, has been put on the injured list. Only JoJo Romero, Gordon Graceffo, and Riley O’Brien have yet to give up runs, and only those three plus Ryne Stanek have an ERA below 4.00.
The starters have been better. Michael McGreevy, Matthew Liberatore and Andre Pallante have all pitched well. More concerning is Dustin May, who gave up seven runs against the Tigers this week in less than four innings. Kyle Leahy needs improvement as well though he is not as concerning as May.
The Cardinals will finish their road trip in Washington. They will return to St. Louis this coming weekend for a homestand with the Red Sox and the Guardians. The Cardinals are making the rounds through the American League early with five series against AL teams in April. They meet the Astros and the Mariners as well this month and play their first series with a Central Division rival, the Pirates, before the month concludes.
Stay tuned as the season progresses.
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
Though not a trade or acquisition, the Cardinals have interest in a long term extension with rookie 2B JJ Wetherholt, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. No further details are available as to whether the interest has progressed into actual talks between the team and Wetherholt’s representatives.
Transactions
3/31 The Cardinals placed LHP Matt Pushard on the 15-day injured list retroactive to March 30. Right knee patellar tendinitis.
3/31 The Cardinals recalled RHP Gordon Graceffo from the Memphis Redbirds.
3/31 The Cardinals sent RHP Hunter Dobbins on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds.
4/5 The Cardinals selected the contract of LHP Jared Shuster from the Memphis Redbirds.
Injury Report
OF Lars Nootbaar (heel surgery) will continue his rehab for his Haglund’s Deformities surgery on both heels. Nootbaar was placed on the 60-day injured list effective March 22. He began his running progression on March 20. No timetable for returning to play has been reported.
RHP Hunter Dobbins was placed on the 15-day injured list on March 25, retroactive to March 22, as he continues to rehab from his right knee ACL surgery. Dobbins was sent on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds on March 31 and has made one start to date. The assignment is for a maximum of 30 days with the option of extension with the approval of the Commissioner’s Office.
LHP Matt Pushard was placed on the 15-day injured list on March 31 retroactive to March 30. Right knee patellar tendinitis. The placement on the injured list was motivated by imaging done on the knee indicating multiple days of unavailability. Pushard was replaced on the roster by RHP Gordon Graceffo.
SS Masyn Winn was kept out of the final two games in Detroit due to hip tightness that is apparently unrelated to his automobile accident in St. Louis this past week.
Looking Ahead
The Cardinals end the current road trip in Washington with three games against the Nationals beginning on Monday. Andre Pallante is scheduled to make the Monday start, followed by Matthew Liberatore on Tuesday and Michael McGreevy on Wednesday.
The Cardinals begin a six-game homestand on Friday, April 10. The team takes on the Boston Red Sox in a weekend series and ends the homestand with the Cleveland Guardians.
After a travel day on Thursday April 16, the Cardinals play a weekend set in Houston with the Astros, followed by three against the Marlins in Miami.
The team returns from its second road trip for a brief homestand. The Cardinals play the Seattle Mariners beginning Friday, April 24 and ending Sunday, April 26.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast from the Past finishes the two-part series recalling one opening day event(s) in each decade since the St. Louis Browns (later St. Louis Cardinals) were purchased by St. Louis saloon owner Chris von der Ahe in 1882.
Each decade will be listed, followed by the date of one opening day in which an interesting or notable event occurred. It could be an unusual game, or some other experience that is worth taking note of and recalling.
The final seven decades (1950s-2020s) will be chronicled in this installment.
1950s
April 18, 1950 – The Cardinals played in the first ever major league opening game held at night. The Cardinals beat the Pirates 4-2 at Sportsman’s Park before a crowd of 20, 871. Night baseball was first played in 1935 and the Cardinals had only played it since 1940. The Cardinals played the most night games in 1950 of any other major league team (70% of Cardinals games were played at night that season). The April 18 game was the first opening day game played at night.
1960s
April 11, 1962 – The Cardinals played in the first ever game by the New York Mets, a brand-new franchise. In opening day at Busch Stadium, the Cardinals won, 11-4.
Fredbird (St. Louis Cardinals)
1970s
April 6, 1979 – The Cardinals beat the Phillies in an 8-1 win on opening day. It marked the introduction of the new mascot, named “Fredbird”. The 1970s were the decade when feathered mascots became the rage, and the Cardinals were not to be undone, as Fredbird joined the San Diego Chicken and the Phillie Phanatic.
1980s
April 8, 1986 – On this opening day, the Cardinals forbid Ozzie Smith from doing his traditional back flip, citing injury concerns, as Smith was recovering from a rotator cuff injury. Instead, Smith brought his son O.J on to the field to do a somersault.
1990s
April 26, 1995 – This late opening day in 1995 occurred because the season was pushed back due to the ending of the 234-day major league players strike, which officially ended on April 2. The original opening day was scheduled for April 3 but was delayed. This strike, the longest in MLB history to date, had earlier forced the cancellation of the 1994 World Series.
Mark McGwire (Getty Images)
2000s
April 3, 2000 – The Cardinals beat the Cubs 7-1 in the season opener. This opening day would not have happened if Cardinals’ players had not vetoed a planned season opener against the Mets in Tokyo. Mark McGwire led a majority of Cardinal players in saying “no” to playing the Mets in a two-game series in the Tokyo Dome on March 29 and 30th. The Mets played the Cubs there instead.
2010s
April 5, 2015 – This began the traditional opening ceremony feature of red-jacketed Cardinals Hall of Famers circle the field in cars. The Cardinals Baseball Hall of Fame inaugural class was inducted the previous year, and Baseball Hall of Fame as well as Cardinals Hall of Fame members were introduced in 2015 during the opening ceremonies wearing the Red Jackets.
2020s
July 24, 2020 – The 2020 season was shortened to 60 games due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Opening Day was not only very late in the traditional season, but fans were not allowed in the stadium. Instead, cardboard cutouts of fans were placed in seats. Following the season, they could be purchased by fans who submitted photos from which the cutouts were made. Proceeds were used to support Cardinals Care and community youth initiatives.
Now available – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its ninth year. It includes 275 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including over five dozen all-new player scouting reports by Kyle Reis. Order your PDF or spiral-bound printed book today.
All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 3-1 on Friday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Springfield 1B Dakota Harris, hit two home runs and plated seven. Other standouts include Matt Koperniak, Bligh Madris, Rainiel Rodriguez, Won-Bin Cho and Tai Peete.
Results for games played on Friday, April 3, 2026.
The Redbirds edged the Tides to increase their 2026 record to 7-0. Starter Bruce Zimmermann pitched six innings, gave up two runs on five hits, and fanned nine to earn his first win.
Gerson Moreno surrendered one run in the seventh. Ryan Fernandez threw a scoreless eighth. Ian Bedell yielded one run in the ninth but received his first save.
Norfolk scored first with a run in the first inning and added another in the top of the third.
Memphis put up a run in the home third to shrink the lead to 2-1. The Redbirds added single runs in each of the next three half innings to take a 4-2 lead.
The Tides came back to cut the lead to 4-3 in the seventh, but Memphis extended their edge to 5-3 in the eighth on Matt Koperniak’s home run.
In the top of the ninth, Norfolk made it 5-4, but the bullpen held it for the Redbirds win.
The offense scored five runs on eight hits. Koperniak was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Bligh Madris drove in two and scored two runs. Koperniak and Madris each hit a long ball.
In their season opener, the Cardinals pounded the Sod Poodles in a 10-1 lashing on Friday. Springfield starter Jurrangelo Cjintje pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings, allowed one hit, walked two and fanned seven to earn his first win in the organization.
In his first start in Cardinals red: 5.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K against Amarillo pic.twitter.com/SlojsWMLcI
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) April 4, 2026
Hancel Rincon relieved Cjintje and surrendered one run in 2 1/3 innings. Edwin Nuñez tossed a scoreless ninth.
The game was scoreless until the fifth inning when the Cardinals put up six runs, which included a grand slam from Dakota Harris. Zach Levenson’s RBI double and a run scored on a double play made up the other scores.
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) April 4, 2026
Springfield was not done in the sixth, as four more runs came home on a Jeremy Rivas RBI single and a three-run home run by Harris for a total of seven RBI for the infielder.
GO AHEAD THEN DAKOTA.
Dakota Harris hits a grand slam in the fifth, and now a three run shot in the sixth. pic.twitter.com/FHCL5ueamX
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) April 4, 2026
Amarillo avoided being shut out with a lone run in the eighth.
Harris was 2-for-4 with two home runs and seven RBI. Levenson was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Mendlinger was 2-for-5 and Miguel Ugueto was 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Rivas drove in one and scored twice.
Springfield is 1-0 and plays Amarillo through Sunday.
Saturday’s game: at Amarillo, Braden Davis LHP (0-0, 0.00) vs. Josh Grosz RHP (0-0, 0.00) 7:05 CT.
The Chiefs defeated the Kernels in the first game of the season in Cedar Rapids on Friday. The starting pitcher for the Chiefs was 2025 Competitive Balance Round B draft pick Tanner Franklin.
The right hander Franklin pitched 3 2/3 innings, gave up two unearned runs on one hit, walked two and fanned nine on 62 pitches.
Franklin was relieved by Sam Brodersen, who got the final out of the fourth via a strikeout, with one walk. Nolan Sparks pitched the next four scoreless innings with one hit allowed, one walk and four punchouts. D.J. Carpenter tossed a scoreless ninth to close it out. Sparks earned the win.
Peoria took the lead with a two-run second inning. Won-Bin Cho doubled and stole third base. Jalin Flores drove in Cho on a single. Flores scored on a double by Cade McGee.
The Chiefs added six runs in the top of the fourth for an 8-0 lead. Cho walked and stole two bases. McGee singled Cho home. José Suárez singled. Tai Peete followed with a two-run home run to left field. Josh Kross drew a walk and Rainiel Rodriguez blasted a ball out of the ballpark to make it 8-0.
The Cardinals fell to the St. Lucie Mets by the score of 8-4 at Roger Dean Stadium on Friday. In his professional debut, Cade Crossland started for Palm Beach and pitched four innings, gave up three runs on five hits and struck out two. Crossland took the loss.
Crossland was relieved by Jake Shelagowski. The right-hander surrendered three runs in two innings. Kaden Echeman threw two perfect innings with two strikeouts. Liam Best was charged with two runs in the ninth.
The Mets scored three runs in the first. The Beach Birds put up two in the fourth to shrink the lead to 3-2. Jack Gurevitch walked. Cameron Nickens doubled to center field. Chase Heath drove in Gurevitch and Nickens on a single.
St. Lucie added three more runs in the fifth for a 6-2 lead. In the seventh, Palm Beach posted two to cut the lead to 6-4. Trevor Haskins drew a walk. Heriberto Caraballo and Ryan Mitchell singled to load the bases. Gurevitch walked, sending Haskins home. Nickens walked to score Caraballo.
The Mets added two more runs in the ninth for the final score of 8-4.
The Cardinals offense scored four runs on seven hits. Nickens was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Caraballo was 2-for-4. Heath drove in two runs.
Shortstop Ryan Weingartner made three errors, one fielding and two throwing. Mitchell had an outfield assist at third base.
The Cardinals are 1-1 and play St. Lucie through Sunday.
Saturday’s game: vs. St. Lucie, TBD (PB) vs. Cam Tilly RHP (0-0, 0.00) 5:00 CT.
Now available – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide
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All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
photo: Jimmy Crooks (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 1-0 on Wednesday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day is again Jimmy Crooks, who was 4-for-4 including a double and a home run plus a walk, leaving him a triple short of the cycle. Memphis’ no. 3 hitter had two RBI and two runs scored as the Redbirds extended their win streak to five. Other standouts include César Prieto, Blaze Jordan and Joshua Baez.
Results for the game played on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
The Memphis Redbirds extended their win streak with a win over the Norfolk Tides in extra innings on Wednesday afternoon. It was their fifth consecutive win since Opening Day and second straight win over Norfolk.
Quinn Mathews started for the Redbirds, and the left-handed prospect had a rough first inning. Mathews threw 36 pitches while walking four batters and striking out one. Despite the laboring, thanks to a double play, Mathews escaped the first inning without a run scoring.
In total, Mathews pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing three hits, four walks, and fanning five before coming out in favor of reliever Max Rajcic.
Rajcic threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings with two hits allowed and five strikeouts. Luis Gastelum followed with two innings in which he gave up two runs on two hits and was charged with a blown save. Nick Raquet finished the game with two scoreless innings and his first win.
Memphis put a run on the board in the first inning with a double by Joshua Baez followed by Jimmy Crooks’ RBI single.
The Tides tied it up in the fourth before Memphis recaptured the lead at 2-1 in the sixth. Crooks singled, Blaze Jordan walked and César Prieto singled to load the bases. Crooks scored on a ground out by Nelson Velázquez.
Norfolk came back with two in the seventh to take the lead 3-2. In the eighth, Crooks tied it with a solo home run.
The game went into extra innings. After the Tides failed to score in the top of the inning, the Redbirds walked it off, 4-3. With Colton Ledbetter on second base, Baez and Crooks walked to load the bases. Blaze Jordan was then hit by a pitch, forcing in Ledbetter as the winning run.
Crooks went 4-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Prieto was 3-for-4. Memphis committed two errors, a catcher’s interference call on Andy Yerzy, and a fielding error from Bligh Madris.
Velázquez had an outfield assist at second base.
The Redbirds continue their homestand against the Tides through Sunday.
Thursday’s game: vs. Norfolk, Richard Fitts RHP (0-0, 0.00) vs. TBD 6:45 CT.
Palm Beach vs. St. Lucie
The Low-A Cardinals open their 2026 regular season in the Florida State League by entertaining the St. Lucie Mets at Roger Dean Stadium on Thursday.
Peoria and Springfield will follow with their respective openers on Friday.
Thursday’s game: vs. St. Lucie, TBD (PB) vs. Nicolas Carreno LHP (0-0, 0.00) 5:30 CT.
Now available – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its ninth year. It includes 275 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including over five dozen all-new player scouting reports by Kyle Reis. Order your PDF or spiral-bound printed book today.
All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
photo: Jimmy Crooks (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 1-0 on Tuesday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, C Jimmy Crooks, blasted a three-run home run and was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Other standouts include Leonardo Bernal, César Prieto, Blaze Jordan, Matt Koperniak and Ramon Mendoza.
Results for the game played on Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
The Memphis Redbirds pounded the Tides on Tuesday night by a 10-5 score at AutoZone Park. St. Louis’ Hunter Dobbins made his first rehab start of five innings, gave up three runs on three hits, struck out three and issued two free passes. Dobbins received the win.
Strike out, throw out. Dobbins with the strikeout of Jud Fabian, Crooks with the throw out – by a mile – of Jose Barrero pic.twitter.com/7V97RAcaS2
— Kyle Reis, 58% Neanderthal (@kyler416) April 1, 2026
Following Dobbins on the mound was Gershon Moreno who threw a scoreless sixth. In his long-awaited Triple-A debut, Tink Hence surrendered a run in the seventh. Packy Naughton relinquished the final run for Norfolk in the eighth. Ryan Fernandez tossed a scoreless ninth.
Memphis went up 3-0 in the second inning, but the Tides fought back to tie the game in the top of the third. In the bottom half of the inning, the Redbirds retook the lead on a Blaze Jordan long ball.
In the sixth, Nelson Velázquez drew a walk, advanced to second on a single by Leonardo Bernal, went to third on a Prieto walk, and scored on a sacrifice double play off the bat of Matt Koperniak to bring the score to 6-3.
Leo Bernal crushes the 91 mph fastball by Josh Walker for single, 112.1 mph off of the bat pic.twitter.com/2eLUqesWkQ
— Kyle Reis, 58% Neanderthal (@kyler416) April 1, 2026
Norfolk cut the lead to 6-4 in the visitors’ half of the seventh on a home run surrendered by Hence.
Tink Hence has his first strikeout at AAA! The slider freezes Fabian, Crooks correctly challenges the call pic.twitter.com/mygSeq2mFq
— Kyle Reis, 58% Neanderthal (@kyler416) April 1, 2026
The score became lopsided in the home half of the inning when Ramon Mendoza singled, Jordan drew a walk, and backstop Jimmy Crooks blasted a missile to right center field for a three-run home run.
The Tides continued to fight with a run in the top of the eighth, but the relentless Redbirds added a run of their own in the bottom frame in a bizarre play. Leo Bernal singled and was almost picked off first base, but the throw got away from the Norfolk first baseman. Bernal dashed to second and went partly on his way to third, when the Tides first sacker inexplicably threw the ball to home plate rather than to third. Bernal took advantage and ran to the next base. Now on third, he scored when Matt Koperniak grounded into a double play.
The beginning of the ninth went quietly. Memphis was the victor by the score of 10-5, and the possessor of a 4-0 record to start the season.
Crooks finished 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Prieto was 2-for-2 with an RBI and two runs scored. Mendoza was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Bernal was 2-for-4. Koperniak drove in three runs. Jordan had an RBI and two runs scored. The offense scored 10 runs on 10 hits.
Mendoza stole his first base of the season. Crooks had a passed ball.
The Redbirds continue their homestand against the Tides through Sunday.
Wednesday’s game: vs. Norfolk, Quinn Mathews LHP (0-0, 0.00) vs. Brandon Young RHP (0-0, 0.00) 12:05 CT.
Now available – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its ninth year. It includes 275 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including over five dozen all-new player scouting reports by Kyle Reis. Order your PDF or spiral-bound printed book today.
All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
Behind a good offense, the St. Louis Cardinals opened the season with two of three wins over the visiting Rays. Rookie leadoff man JJ Wetherholt was a factor in both victories. Our history section highlights key Opening Day events in team annals.
The St. Louis Cardinals edged their Double-A affiliate Springfield Cardinals in an exhibition game at Hammons Field to close spring training. Starter Dustin May pitched four scoreless innings, allowed three hits and fanned four.
Relievers who followed May were Justin Bruihl, Ryne Stanek, Riley O’Brien, Matt Svanson and Skylar Hales. O’Brien surrendered the two Springfield runs.
St. Louis’ offense scored three runs on seven hits. Alec Burleson hit a two-run home run. Minor leaguer Trey Paige added a solo home run for the third score. Yohel Pozo had the other extra base hit, a double. The offense was 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base.
JJ Wetherholt, Pedro Pagés, Brody Moore, and José Fermín each stole a base. Mike Antico had an outfield assist at second base.
Matt Svanson relieved Liberatore and surrendered three runs in 1/3 of an inning. Justin Bruihl followed with 1/3 of an inning during which he relinquished two additional runs. Chris Roycroft secured the final out of that sixth inning and allowed one run.
JoJo Romero came in to pitch 2/3 of a scoreless inning. Riley O’Brien was next in line with 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the win. Ryne Stanek tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his first save.
Alec Burleson went 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Nathan Church was 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Victor Scott was 3-for-4. Nolan Gorman and JJ Wetherholt each had two RBI. Wetherholt hit his first home run of his major league career, a solo shot in the third inning. Burleson thumped a two-run home run in the sixth inning.
In Saturday’s second game of the series, the Cardinals topped the Rays in extra innings. The Cardinals had a 4-0 lead going into the ninth, but the Rays surged back to tie the game. They added a run in the top of the 10th to take the lead, but the Cardinals fought back and won, 6-5.
Starter Michael McGreevy pitched well in his first start of the season. The right hander threw six scoreless, hitless innings with two walks and five punchouts.
Reliever Riley O’Brien hurled a scoreless seventh inning but lost the combined no-hit bid with two hits allowed. JoJo Romero followed with a scoreless eighth.
Matt Svanson started the ninth and gave up three runs in 2/3 of an inning. Still in the ninth, Ryne Stanek relinquished the tying run.
Stanek returned for the top of the 10th and surrendered another run to give the Rays a 5-4 lead. The Cardinals put two runners on in the bottom of the ninth and JJ Wetherholt drove them in on a game-winning walk off single. Stanek was awarded the win.
Wetherholt was 2-for-5 with two RBI. Alec Burleson plated two. Iván Herrera and Nolan Gorman also had an RBI each.
Wetherholt and Burleson each stole their first base of the season. The Cardinals committed two errors, a fielding error by Ramón Urías and a throwing error for Wetherholt.
The Cardinals fell to the Rays in the final game of the series on Sunday. Starter Dustin May pitched four innings, gave up six runs on 10 hits, walked one and struck out three. May took the loss.
Justin Bruihl threw two scoreless innings of relief. George Soriano hurled a scoreless inning. Matt Pushard surrendered three runs in the eighth. Chris Roycroft relinquished two runs in the ninth.
The Rays went up 3-0 in the second inning. The Cardinals put up one run in the third on a double by Jordan Walker and an RBI single by Victor Scott.
The Rays came back with three more runs in the top of the fourth to extend their lead to 6-1. St. Louis put up a three spot in the bottom half on a three-run home run by Walker.
The Rays’ held their 6-4 lead until the top of the eighth, when they again tacked on three runs to lead 9-4. The Cardinals matched with three runs in the home half to cut the lead to 9-7 on a solo home run by Nolan Gorman and a two-run long ball by Pedro Pagés.
The Cardinals bullpen faltered and couldn’t hold off the Rays, who added two more runs in the ninth for the final score of 11-7.
Walker was 3-for-4 with three RBI and three runs scored. Pagés was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Masyn Winn was 2-for-5 and Victor Scott was 2-for-4.
May picked a runner off first base.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals played their season opener on Thursday, March 26 against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Cardinals won 9-7 behind opening day starter Matthew Liberatore. The Cardinals won Saturday in extra innings with a six-inning no-hit performance by Michael McGreevy. The Rays defeated the Cardinals in the final game of the series on Sunday.
The Cardinals start the season with a record of 2-1 and are one game behind the undefeated Brewers. It is early, so these numbers are meaningless, but in the two games the team won, the offense showed it could bounce back and hold its own despite the youth of the team and the lack of veteran players.
One of the surprises was the improved offensive performance of Jordan Walker. In the three games, Walker went 4-for-10 with a home run, two doubles and three RBI. Whether this short-term improvement will hold remains to be seen.
The team scored 22 runs over the three-game set for a team OPS of .808. The pitching was a mixed bag. Michael McGreevy had an excellent first start and Matthew Liberatore was solid, but Dustin May on Sunday faltered badly. The bullpen was a disappointment overall.
The offense, however, was the bright spot. The defense was also satisfactory.
Rookie JJ Wetherholt did not disappoint in this series. He hit his first major league home run in the opening game and drove in the winning runs in the extra inning game on Saturday.
The Cardinals play a better team, the Mets, in the second home series. They go on their first road trip of the season later in the week to face the Detroit Tigers, followed by the Washington Nationals.
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
3/25 The Cardinals selected the contract of 2B JJ Wetherholt from the Memphis Redbirds.
3/25 The Cardinals placed RHP Hunter Dobbins on the 15-day injured list retroactive to March 22. Right knee ACL reconstruction rehab.
3/25 The Cardinals placed LF Lars Nootbaar on the 60-day injured list. Haglund’s Deformities surgery rehab.
OF Lars Nootbaar (heel surgery) will continue his rehab for his Haglund’s Deformities surgery on both heels. Nootbaar was placed on the 60-day injured list on March 25, effective March 22. He began his running progression on March 20. No timetable for returning to play has been reported, but best case is late May.
RHP Hunter Dobbins was placed on the 15-day injured list on March 25, retroactive to March 22, as he continues to rehab from his right knee ACL surgery. Dobbins has been throwing in minor league games and should begin a minor league rehab stint very soon.
Looking Ahead
The regular season began on March 26, with an opening series with the Tampa Bay Rays. The Cardinals will remain in St. Louis for another set before heading out on their first road trip of the season.
The homestand continues on Monday with three games with the Mets that end on Wednesday, April 1. Kyle Leahy is scheduled for the Monday start, followed by Andre Pallante on Tuesday, and Matthew Liberatore on Wednesday.
The Cardinals head out on Thursday to first play the Detroit Tigers in a weekend series beginning Friday, April 3. The team ends the road trip in Washington with three games at the Nationals.
The Cardinals return for a six-game homestand beginning Friday, April 10. The team takes on the Boston Red Sox in a weekend series and ends the homestand with three against the Cleveland Guardians.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast from the Past begins a two-part series recalling one opening day event in each decade since the St. Louis Browns (later St. Louis Cardinals) were purchased by St. Louis beer baron Chris von der Ahe in 1882.
Each decade will be listed, followed by the date of one opening day in which an interesting or notable event occurred.
The first seven decades (1880s-1940s) will be chronicled in this installment. The final installment of the series will cover the final eight decades (1950s-2020s). The date of the event will be noted with the details following.
1880s
April 18, 1888 – On this opening day of the 1888 season, the Cardinals (then the Browns) beat the Louisville Colonels 8-0 at Sportsman’s Park. Sportsman’s Park that season was partially rebuilt after a suspicious fire occurred in November. Owner Chris von der Ahe’s nearby saloon was also damaged. Critics suspected arson but it was never proven.
1890s
Chris von der Ahe
April 8, 1891 – The season opener ended in a 7-7 tie with the Cincinnati Reds. The game was called after eight innings because of darkness. When the ninth inning started, Cincinnati refused to play and the players were pulled off the field. Though the Reds manager protested, the umpire, former Cardinal Bill Gleason, declared a forfeit in favor of St. Louis. St. Louis owner Chris von der Ahe protested the forfeit, claiming the team preferred to win on its own. Nevertheless, the game was called.
1900s
April 19, 1901 – The Cardinals lost the season opener 8-7 to the Cubs. Though Cardinals pitcher Jack Powell took the loss, he hit a home run. The next Cardinal pitcher to homer on opening day was Joe Magrane in 1988.
1910s
Helene “Lady Bee” Britton
April 11, 1912 – In the season opener, the Cardinals defeated the Pirates 7-0 before a crowd of 15,000 in St. Louis. The Cardinals were playing in a ballpark with a new name. Helene Hathaway Britton, the first woman owner of a major league baseball team, renamed League Park to Robison Field, after her father and uncle, Frank and Stanley Robison. Helene had inherited the team on the death of her uncle.
1920s
April 12, 1922 – The Cardinals beat the Pirates 10-1 in the season opener. It was the first appearance of the team uniforms of a new logo featuring two Redbirds perched on a bat that passed through the letter “C” in the word Cardinals.
Red Schoendienst
1930s
April 20, 1933 – The Cardinals beat the Cubs 3-1 in the home opener. Prohibition had just ended and this was the first time beer was sold at Sportsman’s Park since 1919.
1940s
April 17, 1945 – The Cardinals opened the season with a 3-2 loss to the Cubs, only five days after the death of President Franklin Roosevelt and the succession of Missouri’s own Harry Truman to the Presidency. In this game, Red Schoendienst made his major league debut.
Now available – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its ninth year. It includes 275 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including over five dozen all-new player scouting reports by Kyle Reis. Order your PDF or spiral-bound printed book today.
All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
photo: Ramon Mendoza (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 1-0 on Friday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Memphis 3B Ramon Mendoza, was 3-for-4 including a double, home run and two RBI. Other standouts included four Redbirds pitchers who kept Gwinnett off the board, led by Richard Fitts.
Results for the Triple-A game played on Friday, March 27, 2026.
Packy Naughton relieved Fitts and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the win.
Tonight’s appearance marked LHP Packy Naughton’s first at any level since July 5, 2024.
He retired all four batters faced and earned his first win since May 24, 2022. 💪 https://t.co/mLsFOFAuLT
— Cardinals Player Development (@CardsPlayerDev) March 28, 2026
Luis Gastelum hurled 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
Luis Gastelum has his first AAA strikeout! He goes to the 94 mph fastball to freeze Sandy Leon who was certainly sitting on that 80 grade changeup of Gastelum's. pic.twitter.com/VkLsoGqlHh
Memphis scored one run in each of the second, fourth and fifth innings. Ninth place hitter Ramon Mendoza was 3-for-4 with two RBI, including a double and a solo home run.
WE HAVE OUR FIRST HOMER OF THE MiLB SEASON FOR THE CARDS! Ramon Mendoza crushes this hanging curve for the dong. Savant is delayed in giving any additional info pic.twitter.com/6QmvZiqoRD
Blaze Jordan was 2-for-4. Bryan Torres drew three walks.
Jimmy Crooks hit a missile to the opposite field for Memphis’ second solo home run of the evening.
JIMMY CROOKS HOMER!!!! LOVE TO SEE THIS. Crooks takes the 94 mph sinker from the lefty and goes with it. 107.9 mph off of the bat, 414 ft shot pic.twitter.com/gU4t0bVAbj
The offense had a total of eight hits, mostly helped by the long ball as they went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position, leaving 10 runners on base.
Joshua Baez and Torres each swiped a bag. The game lasted two hours and 53 minutes on a balmy 80 degree night in Georgia at first pitch.
The fans were treated to a bat dog retrieving bats in the bottom of the first and fourth innings.
Memphis will play two more games with Gwinnett before heading home for their first first game series of the season with the Norfolk Tides starting Tuesday.
Saturday’s game: at Gwinnett, Bruce Zimmermann LHP (0-0, 0.00) vs. Carlos Carrasco RHP (0-0,0.00) 5:05 CT.
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its ninth year. It includes 275 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including over five dozen all-new player scouting reports by Kyle Reis. Order your PDF or spiral-bound printed book today.
All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
The St. Louis Cardinals finished spring training strongly with a 5-1 final week. Non-roster players JJ Wetherholt and Nelson Velazquez appear to have made the team, but other moves are required. Our history section highlights key events this past week in team annals.
The St. Louis Cardinals were blanked in a low scoring contest with the Nationals in Palm Beach on Tuesday. Starter Dustin May pitched well but took the loss after going five innings, allowing one run on four hits, walking one and striking out three.
The Cardinals defeated the Astros by a 4-1 score at Roger Dean Stadium on Wednesday. Kyle Leahy took the mound first for the Cardinals. The right hander pitched five scoreless innings, allowed three hits, walked one and fanned six.
The Cardinals beat the Nationals at Roger Dean Stadium by the score of 5-1. Over from minor league camp, Quinn Mathews started and pitched four innings, gave up one run on two hits, walked three and struck out four.
Matthews was followed by Riley O’Brien, Gordon Graceffo, Chris Roycroft, George Soriano and Matt Pushard.
Dakota Harris was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Nelson Velázquez was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Alec Burleson was 2-for-3. Trey Paige had two RBI on a home run. The only other extra base hit was a double by Victor Scott.
The Cardinals edged the Mets by a 4-3 score on Friday at Clover Park. Starter Matthew Liberatore pitched five scoreless innings, allowed one hit, walked one and fanned five.
The Cardinals defeated the Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium on Saturday. Minor leaguer Mason Molina started. The left hander pitched 3 2/3 innings, gave up four runs on five hits, walked one and struck out three.
Following Molina were Dominic Picone, Matt Pushard, Packy Naughton, Max Rajcic and Skylar Hales.
The Cardinals beat the Astros in the final game of Grapefruit League play on Sunday. Michael McGreevy took the mound first for the Cardinals. The right hander pitched five innings, gave up one run on three hits and fanned five.
Relievers were Chris Roycroft, Michael Watson, George Soriano and Luis Gastelum. Roycroft surrendered the second Astros run.
Jordan Walker went 2-for-4 with a solo home run. Jonathan Mejía was also 2-for-4.
Brody Moore, José Fermín and Miguel Hernández each stole a base. Masyn Winn was caught stealing. Roycroft picked a runner off first base.
News and Notes
This section contains information and snippets of news that don’t require extensive coverage but are of interest to Cardinal fans.
The Cardinals are promoting “Coca-Cola Unlimited” tickets for the upcoming season. These tickets are now on sale and are for seating in Big Mac Land, specifically sections 271 and 272. Tickets include food and drink at a designated “unlimited concession stand”. More information on these tickets can be found here .
Cardinals all-inclusive tickets, Opening Day tickets, Cardinals Theme tickets, and single game tickets are now on sale. Information on purchasing any of these tickets and more can be found here.
“Banana Ball” will return to Busch Stadium in 2026. The Savannah Bananas popular entertainment baseball team will come to Busch Stadium on Friday, August 21 and Saturday, August 22 as part of their world tour.
More information about the event and how to get tickets can be found here.
The Big Picture
This is the final Big Picture for spring training. Next week, we move to regular season analysis.
Generally, the pitching has been very good with the offense scoring enough to win most games.
The Cardinals ended the final week of Grapefruit League play on Sunday with a 5-1 record and a final mark of 17-9-2. St. Louis’ .654 winning percentage is second base this spring among Florida-based teams.
There is one more exhibition game on Monday at Hammons Field in Springfield against a mostly Memphis Redbirds roster. There will likely be some intermingling with minor leaguers on both sides. This game will be available for viewing, a change from past such games which were audio only. The game will be broadcast on Cardinals.TV, MILB.TV, Bally Sports Live and Matrix Midwest.
The final roster for Opening Day is still unknown. However, there is clarity as to which pitchers will be on the roster when the team begins the season.
Starting with the bullpen, the team optioned RHP Gordon Graceffo to Memphis on Saturday. Derrick Goold of the Post Dispatch reported on Saturday that three relievers, Chris Roycroft, George Soriano and Matt Pushard have been informed that they have made the opening day roster. These three along with JoJo Romero, Riley O’Brien, Justin Bruihl, Ryne Stanek, and Matt Svanson will make up the eight-man bullpen.
Once Richard Fitts was sent down, the starting pitchers became clear as well. They are Matthew Liberatore, Dustin May, Michael McGreevy, Kyle Leahy and Andre Pallante. Hunter Dobbins will begin the season on the injured list.
The position players on the roster are still to be determined. There are sure things in Masyn Winn, Alec Burleson, Nolan Gorman, Iván Herrera and Pedro Pagés. If the Cardinals are taking three catchers as expected, then also Yohel Pozo. Because Joshua Baez was optioned, we can assume Jordan Walker will be on that list as well. Other likely additions include Victor Scott, Ramón Urías and JJ Wetherholt for a total of 10 players.
That leaves three spots open for Nathan Church, José Fermín, Thomas Saggese, and Nelson Velázquez. One of those four players will not be with St. Louis initially. Fermín is out of minor league options. Velázquez is not on the 40-man roster but has played well enough to make it difficult for the Cardinals not to put him on it. Both Church and Saggese have minor league options and can be easily sent to Memphis. Of the two, Saggese appears to be the most likely to be sent down due to the surplus of infield options vs. outfield options.
An additional consideration is that Wetherholt needs a 40-man spot and if the Cardinals want to put Velázquez on as well, they will have to open two spots. There are no major league players to put on the 60-day IL unless the team is convinced that Lars Nootbaar will take that long to be ready to play. Even if that is the case, one more player (likely a relief pitcher) will have to be removed.
Who will be on the Opening Day roster, and who will be removed from the 40-man roster to complete the initial 26-man group?
Stay tuned as the regular season begins.
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
3/18: The Cardinals optioned RHP Richard Fitts to the Memphis Redbirds.
3/21: The Cardinals optioned RHP Gordon Graceffo to the Memphis Redbirds.
OF Lars Nootbaar (heel surgery) will continue his rehab at the spring training facility. Nootbaar will begin the season on the injured list. He began his running progression on March 20. No timetable for returning to play has been reported.
RHP Hunter Dobbins will begin the season on the injured list as he continues to progress from off-season knee surgery. Dobbins is throwing in minor league games but his knee is not yet cleared for full defensive action.
C Iván Herrera (knee) has returned to the spring training lineup.
Looking Ahead
The final spring training game in Florida was played on Sunday, March 22. The team will leave Florida for Missouri and will play one final exhibition game in Springfield, Missouri on Monday, March 23 at Hammons Field. (The Springfield squad will be made up of mostly the 2026 Memphis Redbirds roster, which also concluded their spring training on Sunday).
St. Louis’ regular season begins on Thursday, March 26, with an opening series with the Tampa Bay Rays. Matthew Liberatore will make the start on Opening Day. The series continues into the weekend, with an off day on Friday.
The homestand will continue on Monday with a three-game series with the Mets that ends on Wednesday, April 1.
The Cardinals head out on their first road trip of the season starting with the Detroit Tigers in a weekend series beginning Friday, April 3. The team ends the road trip in Washington with three against the Nationals.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast from the Past is the final installment of spring of the series highlighting notable events that occurred in the history of the franchise for a relevant period.
In this installment, we look at events that occurred during the period March 16 through March 22. For each event, its date, individual(s) involved, a description of the event, and any other relevant details are provided.
Dizzy and Daffy Dean
March 17, 1981 – Former Cardinal Paul “Daffy” Dean, brother of Dizzy Dean, passed away at the age of 68 in Springdale, Arkansas of a heart attack.
March 17, 1969 – The Cardinals acquired C/1B/3B Joe Torre from the Atlanta Braves for 1B/OF Orlando Cepeda.
March 20, 1917 – Branch Rickey became the President of the Cardinals. Rickey joined the team from the St. Louis Browns.
March 21, 1975 – Former Cardinal LF Joe “Ducky” Medwick passed away at the age of 63 in St. Petersburg, Florida of a heart attack.
Now available – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its ninth year. It includes 275 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including over five dozen all-new player scouting reports by Kyle Reis. Order your PDF or spiral-bound printed book today.
All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
photo: Nelson Velazquez (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals went 3-3-1 for the week and are 12-8-2 in spring training overall. Non-roster invitee Nelson Velazquez is making a bid to be the interim starter in left field. Our history section highlights key events this past week in team annals.
The St. Louis Cardinals were pounded by the Houston Astros, 10-3, at Cacti Park of the Palm Beaches on Monday. Richard Fitts started and pitched 2 2/3 innings, gave up four runs on six hits and struck out three.
Fitts was followed by Michael Watson, Hunter Hayes, Jawilme Ramírez, Max Rajcic, Skylar Hales, Bruce Zimmerman and Jose Davila. Hayes relinquished a run. Zimmerman surrendered five runs to turn it into a blowout.
Nelson Velázquez was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Nathan Church drove in one. The offense was 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base.
The Cardinals fell to the Mets by a 6-1 score at Clover Park on Tuesday. Up from minor league camp, Jared Shuster took the mound and pitched three innings, gave up four runs on seven hits and fanned four. Shuster’s line included two home runs allowed.
Relief pitchers were Riley O’Brien, Edwin Nuñez, Packy Naughton, Matt Pushard, Scott Blewett and Austin Love. O’Brien and Pushard each allowed a run.
Nelson Velázquez drove in the only Cardinal run. The offense was 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left six men on.
The Cardinals lost their third consecutive game, with Wednesday’s score 3-1 in favor of the Nationals. Dustin May pitched the first 3 2/3 innings, gave up one run on two hits, walked two and struck out three.
Ian Bedell, Justin Bruihl, Matt Svanson, Ryan Fernandez and Gerson Moreno followed May. Moreno allowed the other two runs.
Nolan Gorman drove in the Cardinals only score. The only extra base hit was a double by Andy Yerzy.
JJ Wetherholt and Nathan Church each stole a base.
The Cardinals won their first game of the week, by a 3-1 margin over the Mets at Roger Dean Stadium. Starter Michael McGreevy pitched five innings, gave up one run on four hits, walked one and struck out three.
The Cardinals edged the Astros by a 5-4 score at Roger Dean Stadium on Thursday. Kyle Leahy pitched four innings and gave up four runs on six hits, walked one and fanned five.
Leahy was followed by Austin Love, Ryne Stanek, JoJo Romero, Riley O’Brien and Justin Bruihl.
From minor league camp, Colton Ledbetter was 2-for-3 with two RBI. Blaze Jordan and Ramon Mendoza each hit a home run.
The Cardinals and the Marlins played to a 7-7 tie on Saturday at Roger Dean Stadium. Andre Pallante started. The right-hander pitched five innings, gave up one run on three hits, walked three and fanned four.
The Cardinals beat the Nationals by a 6-3 score at Roger Dean Stadium on Sunday. Starter Richard Fitts pitched 4 2/3 innings, gave up two runs on one hit, walked three and fanned five.
Relief pitchers were Hunter Hayes, Ryne Stanek, JoJo Romero, Riley O’Brien and Matt Pushard. Hayes allowed the other Nationals run.
Nelson Velázquez went 2-for-3 including a three-run home run and four RBI. Alec Burleson was 2-for-2.
Victor Scott stole his fourth base of spring. José Suárez also stole a base.
Jeremy Rivas made a fielding error.
News and Notes for Spring Training
This section contains information and snippets of news that don’t require extensive coverage but are of interest to Cardinal fans.
The Cardinals are promoting “Coca-Cola Unlimited” tickets for the upcoming season. These tickets are now on sale and are for seating in Big Mac Land, specifically sections 271 and 272. Fans purchasing these tickets get access to food and drink at a designated “unlimited concession stand”. More information on these tickets can be found here .
Cardinals all-inclusive tickets, Opening Day tickets, Cardinals Theme tickets, and single game tickets are now on sale. Information on purchasing any of these tickets and more can be found here. Spring Training tickets are also available to be purchased here.
“Banana Ball” will return to Busch Stadium in 2026. The Savannah Bananas popular entertainment baseball team will come to Busch Stadium on Friday, August 21 and Saturday, August 22 as part of their world tour. More information about the event and how to get tickets can be found here.
The Big Picture
Spring training will soon be winding down and Opening Day is just around the corner. The final week of spring training begins on Monday. The Cardinals have a spring record of 12-8-2. The final game of spring will be on Monday, March 23, an exhibition game in Springfield MO, against a team composed of mostly Memphis Redbirds players. The Memphis Redbirds begin their regular season the day after opening day at Busch Stadium. The Springfield Cardinals players begin their regular season a week later.
Four minor league players were optioned out this past week – RF Joshua Baez, LHP Nick Raquet, LHP Brycen Mautz and LHP Cooper Hjerpe. Joshua Baez had an exceptional spring at the plate. There was some speculation that Baez could make the major league roster without having played a day in Triple-A, but the Cardinals did the right thing by optioning Baez and quelling that speculation. Baez could still be called up to the majors later in the season if conditions were such that he would be useful, but he should play some time in Memphis before that happens.
Additional players were trimmed from spring camp on Sunday. RHP Ryan Fernandez was optioned to Memphis. Luis Gastelum, Packy Naughton, Gerson Moreno, Matt Koperniak, Blaze Jordan, and Jeremy Rivas were assigned to minor league camp.
These moves signal that LHP Justin Bruihl will likely be the second lefty on the major league roster along with JoJo Romero. Bruihl has no minor league options remaining, which may be one reason he was selected. LHP Packy Naughton pitched well this spring, better than Bruihl in fact, but Naughton does not hold a 40-man roster spot. Decisions are often made for reasons other than performance, as this move demonstrates.
The Cardinals have reduced their spring training roster to 36 players which includes 29 40-man players and seven NRIs.
The Cardinals have an off day Monday and then begin their final week of spring training. The picture of who will be on the Opening Day roster will begin to take shape soon. The team will announce that roster near or on the last day of camp most likely.
The World Baseball Classic is also winding down. The Team USA beat Albert Pujols’ Team Dominican Republic on Sunday night 2-1 on a controversial third strike call with the tying run on third base. There is no ABS in the WBC, though there may be in the next one. Team USA will play the winner of Monday’s semifinal between Team Italy (Thomas Saggese and Gordon Graceffo) and Team Venezuela. The final will be played on Tuesday, March 17.
Stay tuned as Spring Training continues.
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
3/9 The Cardinals optioned RF Joshua Baez, and LHPs Brycen Mautz, Nick Raquet, and Cooper Hjerpe to the Memphis Redbirds.
3/15 The Cardinals optioned RHP Ryan Fernandez to the Memphis Redbirds.
OF Lars Nootbaar (heel surgery) is continuing his rehab at the spring training facility. Nootbaar will begin the season on the injured list. No timetable for returning to play has been reported.
RHP Hunter Dobbins will begin the season on the injured list. He can pitch but is being held out of agility drills as part of his recovery from off-season knee surgery.
LHP Zack Thompson missed all the 2025 season with a torn lat muscle and underwent surgery in August to clean up his left shoulder. Thompson is on a throwing program and he won’t be cleared to pitch until sometime after the regular season starts. He is off the 40-man roster and assigned to Memphis.
C Iván Herrera has still not returned to the lineup after he was scratched from the game on Saturday, March 7th with knee soreness. Herrera has been hitting on the back fields and is expected to catch in a game before camp ends. However, he will likely serve as the designated hitter to start the season.
IF Ramon Urias has been out for a week due to right elbow soreness felt while swinging. His timetable is unclear.
Looking Ahead
Spring Training continues into its final week. The Cardinals have a record of 12-8-2 and begin the final week with a Tuesday game with the Nationals. They play two more games with the Astros, one each with the Mets and Marlins and a split day on Thursday that begins with the Nationals at noon, and the Spring Breakout Game between Cardinals prospects and Nationals prospects at 3:30 p.m. CT.
The World Baseball Classic is coming to a close. The final will be played on Tuesday. In the final four are the USA, the Dominican Republic, Italy and Venezuela.
Spring training concludes on Monday, March 23 with a game against the Springfield Cardinals at Hammons Field in Springfield. (The Springfield squad will be made up of mostly the 2026 Memphis Redbirds roster, who end their spring training at the same time as the major league team).
St. Louis’ regular season begins on Thursday, March 26, with the opening series at home with the Tampa Bay Rays.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast from the Past continues with the series highlighting notable events that occurred in the history of the franchise during a relevant period.
In this installment, we look at events that occurred during the period March 9 through March 15. For each event, its date, individual(s) involved, a description of the event, and any other relevant details are provided.
Rogers Hornsby
March 9, 1922 – 2B Rogers Hornsby signed a three-year contract with Cardinals owner Sam Breadon. The 25-year-old agreed to $18,500 per season.
March 10, 1970 – On this date, synthetic turf (astro-turf) was installed at Busch Stadium.
March 10, 2022 – On this date, MLB players and owners ended a 99-day lockout and agreed on a new contract.
March 12, 1973 – Former Cardinal second baseman and manager Frankie Frisch, “The Fordham Flash”, passed away at the age of 75 from injuries suffered in a car accident near Elkton, Maryland.
Marty Marion
March 15, 1961 – After he was released from the Milwaukee Braves at the end of the 1960 season, second baseman Red Schoendienst was signed to a free agent contract to allow him to finish his career as a Cardinal.
March 15, 2011 – Former Cardinals shortstop and manager Marty Marion passed away from a heart attack at the age of 93 and was buried in Valhalla Cemetery in St. Louis, MO.
Now available – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its ninth year. It includes 275 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including over five dozen all-new player scouting reports by Kyle Reis. Order your PDF or spiral-bound printed book today.
All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
The St. Louis Cardinals went 3-2-1 for the week and are 8-5-1 in spring training action with this week’s loss to Nicaragua considered an exhibition. Closer candidate Riley O’Brien made his spring debut on Saturday. Our history section highlights key events this past week in team annals.
The St. Louis Cardinals edged the Miami Marlins 3-2 at Roger Dean Stadium on Monday. Andre Pallante started and pitched three innings, gave up one run on three hits and struck out two.
Following Pallante on the mound were Matt Pushard, Bruce Zimmermann, Ryan Fernandez, George Soriano and Scott Blewett. Pushard allowed the second Marlins run.
Cardinals runs were driven in by Yohel Pozo, Colton Ledbetter and Jeremy Rivas. Ramon Mendoza had the only extra base hit, a double. Joshua Baez was picked off first base.
The Cardinals lost to Team Nicaragua in a pre-WBC exhibition game on Wednesday. Matthew Liberatore took the mound and pitched 3 1/3 innings, gave up two runs on five hits and fanned five.
Relief pitchers were Gerson Moreno, JoJo Romero, Ryne Stanek and Richard Fitts.
Joshua Baez went 2-for-3 with a stolen base. A solo home run by Andy Yerzy was the Cardinals’ only score. Iván Herrera also stole a base.
The Cardinals topped the Pirates in a road contest on Thursday. In his spring and Cardinals debut, starter Dustin May pitched three scoreless innings, allowed one hit, walked one and struck out one.
Relievers were Quinn Mathews, Darlin Saladin, Matt Svanson, Justin Bruihl and Ryan Fernandez. Mathews surrendered the Pirates’ two runs, one earned.
Nolan Gorman hit a solo home run. Singles by Jimmy Crooks and Pedro Pagés drove in the other two runs.
Victor Scott stole his second base of the spring. Ramón Urías also stole a base. Jordan Walker was caught stealing. Gorman made a throwing error. Pagés made an error on a pickoff.
The Cardinals pounded the Orioles in their second road game on the Gulf Coast. Michael McGreevy started and pitched four innings, gave up one run on four hits and fanned four.
McGreevy was followed by Matt Pushard, George Soriano, Packy Naughton, Chris Roycroft and Max Rajcic. Rajcic relinquished the second Orioles score.
Yohel Pozo went 2-for-2 with two RBI and two runs scored. Joshua Baez had two RBI and two runs scored. Iván Herrera was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Nelson Velázquez was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Jeremy Rivas was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Velázquez and Baez each hit a home run with the latter a two-run shot.
The Cardinals fell to the Mets by a 3-2 score at Roger Dean Stadium on Saturday. Kyle Leahy took the mound and tossed four scoreless, no-hit innings, with five strikeouts.
Relief pitchers were Riley O’Brien, Brycen Mautz, Austin Love, Darlin Saladin, Jose Davila and Nick Racquet. Mautz surrendered two runs. Saladin allowed one run.
Alec Burleson went 3-for-3. Solo home runs by Joshua Baez and Miguel Ugueto were the Cardinals’ only runs.
Yairo Padilla made two throwing errors. O’Brien picked a runner off first base.
The Cardinals and the Marlins tied in Sunday’s game at Roger Dean Stadium. Starter Andre Pallante pitched four innings, gave up one run on two hits, walked one and fanned three.
In relief following Pallante were Ryne Stanek, JoJo Romero, Justin Bruihl, Scott Blewett and Gerson Moreno. Bruihl allowed the Marlins’ second run.
Pedro Pagés and Yordalin Pena drove in the Cardinals’ two runs. The offense was held to five hits and were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
Dakota Harris committed a fielding error.
News and Notes for Spring Training
This section contains information and snippets of news that don’t require extensive coverage but are of interest to Cardinal fans.
The Cardinals are selling “Coca-Cola Unlimited” tickets for the upcoming season. These tickets are for seating in Big Mac Land, sections 271 and 272. Fans purchasing these tickets get access to food and drink at a designated “unlimited concession stand”. More information on these tickets can be found here .
Cardinals all-inclusive tickets, Opening Day tickets, Cardinals Theme tickets, and single game tickets are now on sale. Information on purchasing any of these tickets and more can be found here. Spring Training tickets are also available here.
“Banana Ball” will return to Busch Stadium in 2026. The Savannah Bananas popular entertainment baseball team will come to Busch Stadium on Friday, August 21 and Saturday, August 22 as part of their world tour. More information about the event and how to get tickets can be found here.
The Big Picture
Spring Training continues with the final two weeks of games remaining. The Cardinals will play eight games in the coming week, with two games each against the Astros, Mets and Nationals, and one more game with the Orioles. The team has split squad games on Monday. The Cardinals’ current spring record sits at 8-5-1.
The World Baseball Classic also continues, with pool play ending on Thursday. As previously reported, the Cardinals have eight players out for the tournament, two major league players and six minor league players. The WBC is set to end on March 17.
The only questions remaining for the Cardinals at this time are who will make the Opening Day roster. One question mark is whether outfielder Jordan Walker will be on the major league roster. He has not yet shown much improvement in performance over last season. Moreover, Walker has competition for his outfield spot in the form of Joshua Baez, who, unlike Walker, has performed exceptionally well in a short time this spring. There is already a cacophony of voices seeking to have Baez go north with the team at the end of camp.
A major issue with Baez is that he finished his 2025 season at Double-A Springfield. The lack of experience at the Triple-A level could hinder his development. Walker made the same leap from Double-A to the major leagues, and many have opined that this may have contributed to his long struggles at the major league level.
One wonders why the team might take this risk a second time. It might be wise for the Cardinals not to listen to the calls for Baez to make the team, and allow the outfielder to further develop in Memphis, at least for the first half of the season.
Another issue is who will be in the starting rotation when the season begins. There are many options for those five spots, though it appears Matthew Liberatore, Michael McGreevy, Richard Fitts, and Dustin May are likely candidates. Kyle Leahy and incumbent Andre Pallante are also options, as would Hunter Dobbins be if healthy. All (except rehabbing Dobbins) have been pitching well as of late. The fifth spot may be up for grabs by whoever else stands out in the remainder of spring training.
On Saturday, the Cardinals cut six players from major league camp, optioning C Jimmy Crooks, C Leonardo Bernal, OF Bryan Torres, IF César Prieto and RHP Tink Hence. Non-roster invitee pitcher Skylar Hales was assigned to minor league camp. Major league camp is down to 51, which includes 34 roster players and 17 non-roster players.
The cut of Crooks from the roster signals the team has likely decided on Yohel Pozo as the third catcher. Crooks came up at the end of last season but will start 2026 in Memphis.
Iván Herrera is the wild card, both in terms of health (he has been out the last few days with knee inflammation) and his ability to stick at the catcher position. Herrera spent most of the 2025 season as the DH with brief stints behind the plate and in the outfield. He wants to catch in 2026 and the Cardinals are letting him.
RHP Hunter Dobbins is still recovering from a torn ACL in his right knee which occurred in July. Dobbins can pitch but is being held out of agility drills. Dobbins recently underwent testing on his knee and the results were as expected.
LHP Zack Thompson missed all the 2025 season with a torn lat muscle and underwent surgery in August to clean up his left shoulder. Thompson is on a throwing program and he won’t be cleared to pitch until sometime after the regular season starts. He is no longer on the 40-man roster.
RHP Riley O’Brien suffered a mid-right calf strain during a bullpen session on February 14. O’Brien returned to pitch on Saturday with a scoreless inning. He was scheduled to play for Korea in the WBC but that was forestalled by the injury. O’Brien could join Team Korea in later rounds, but that is unclear.
C Iván Herrera was scratched from Saturday’s game with knee inflammation. The plan is to wait 48 hours and reevaluate.
SS Masyn Winn was kept from playing shortstop for a week due to a sore throwing shoulder. He appeared in one game at DH during that time. Winn returned to the field on Saturday, March 7.
Looking Ahead
Spring Training continues into its third full week. The Cardinals have an official record of 8-5-1 and begin on Monday with games against the Astros and Orioles on a split squad day. The remainder of the week includes the Astros again, the Marlins, and the Mets and Nationals twice.
The World Baseball Classic pool play also continues this coming week with the quarterfinals beginning on Friday. The Cardinals have two major league players, Gordon Graceffo and Thomas Saggese, playing for Team Italy. Six minor league players are playing for various other countries. The WBC final will be on Tuesday, March 17.
St. Louis’ spring training will conclude on Monday, March 23 with an exhibition game against the Springfield Cardinals at Hammons Field in Springfield. (The Springfield squad will be made up of mostly the 2026 Memphis Redbirds roster, who end their spring training at the same time as the major league team.)
The Cardinals’ regular season begins on March 26, with the opening series against the Tampa Bay Rays at Busch Stadium.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast from the Past continues with the series highlighting notable events in the history of the franchise during a relevant period.
Kolten Wong (Jasen Vinlove/Imagn)
In this installment, we look at events that occurred during the period March 2 through March 8. For each, its date, individual(s) involved, a description of the event, and any other relevant details are provided.
March 2, 2016 – The Cardinals signed 2B Kolten Wong to a five-year/$25.5 million contract. It included a $12.5 million option with a $1 million buyout.
March 4, 1948 – Cardinals icon Stan Musial signed a contract for $31,000, the same as the previous year, after he had been promised a performance-based raise. Musial’s salary was raised to $36,000 when he was hitting .403 at the All-Star Break.
Pepper Martin (St. Louis Cardinals)
March 5, 1965 – Cardinals and Cooperstown Hall of Famer Pepper Martin passed away at the age of 61 of a heart attack.
March 6, 1923 – Cardinals manager Branch Rickey announced that players would begin wearing numbers on the left sleeve of their uniforms. The practice was abandoned shortly after.
March 8, 2013 – The Cardinals signed OF/1B Allen Craig to a five-year/$31 million contract. Craig suffered a Lisfranc injury on September 4 of that year, which kept him out of the rest of the regular season. He did play in the 2013 World Series. Craig’s performance dropped off precipitously in 2014 and at the trade deadline, he was dealt to the Boston Red Sox along with RHP Joe Kelly for RHP John Lackey.
Now available – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide
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All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
photo: Oliver Marmol and Chaim Bloom (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals are 5-4 in early spring training action. Manager Oliver Marmol received a two-year contract extension. Our history section highlights key events this past week in team annals.
The St. Louis Cardinals edged the Miami Marlins by a 5-4 score at Roger Dean Stadium on Monday. Michael McGreevy started and pitched two innings. The right hander gave up one run on two hits and struck out two.
Relievers who followed were JoJo Romero, Brycen Mautz, Hancel Rincon, Jose Davila, Michael Watson, and Ian Bedell. Romero, Rincon and Watson each allowed a run.
Jeremy Rivas went 2-for-2 in relief of Masyn Winn at shortstop.
JJ Wetherholt and José Fermín each stole a base. Rivas was caught stealing. Wetherholt made a throwing error.
The Cardinals were beaten by the Washington Nationals by the score of 6-1 on Tuesday in West Palm Beach. Andre Pallante started and pitched two innings, gave up one run on no hits, walked one and struck out two.
Pallante was followed by Justin Bruihl, Packy Naughton, Tink Hence, Skylar Hales, Austin Love, Mason Molina, Tyler Bradt, and Dominic Picone. Molina relinquished three runs and Bradt allowed two runs.
The Cardinals’ only run scored on a sac bunt by Victor Scott in the third inning. The offense had only three hits in the game.
Matt Koperniak stole a base and Yohel Pozo was caught stealing. Pozo and César Prieto each had a fielding error. Mike Antico had an outfield assist at second base.
The Cardinals blanked the New York Mets, 6-0, on Wednesday in Port St. Lucie. Richard Fitts pitched two scoreless innings to start the game. The right hander allowed two hits and struck out one.
The pitchers who followed were Matt Svanson, Gordon Graceffo, Chris Roycroft, Bruce Zimmerman, Jurrangelo Cijntje, and Luis Gastelum.
Colton Ledbetter went 2-for-2 as a pinch hitter and right fielder in relief of Nelson Velásquez. Chase Davis went 2-for-3 with two RBI. Nolan Gorman hit a three-run home run.
The Cardinals slugged their way past the Houston Astros in a 9-4 win at Roger Dean Stadium on Thursday. Matthew Liberatore pitched three innings, gave up one run on two hits, fanned three and walked one.
The pitchers in relief were JoJo Romero, Nick Raquet, Scott Blewett, Jared Shuster, and Gerson Moreno. Raquet, Blewett and Shuster each allowed a run.
The balls were flying out of Roger Dean. Yohel Pozo, Alec Burleson, Jimmy Crooks, and Jon Jon Gazdar each hit a long ball. Burleson’s bomb was a three-run shot. Crooks hit a two-run home run.
The Mets secured revenge for being shut out earlier in the week with a 14-3 pounding of the Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium. Quinn Mathews made the start and pitched 2 2/3 innings. The left hander gave up one run on one hit, fanned three and walked two.
Mathews was followed by Ian Bedell, Matt Pushard, Justin Bruihl, Jose Davila, Ryan Fernandez, George Soriano, Tink Hence, D.J. Carpenter, Skylar Hales and Austin Love. Bruihl, Hence and Hales each surrendered three runs. Davila relinquished two runs.
JJ Wetherholt hit his first spring training home run. Nathan Church and Chase Davis drove in the other two runs for the Cardinals.
Mathews and Rainiel Rodriguez each made a throwing error. Mathews picked a runner off second base.
The Cardinals soundly beat the Marlins, 10-2, at Roger Dean Stadium. Michael McGreevy made his second start of the week. The right hander pitched 2 1/3 innings, gave up one run on three hits, struck out two and walked one.
The relief corps that followed were Darlin Saladin, Michael Watson, Ryne Stanek, Matt Svanson, Gordon Graceffo, Packy Naughton, and Max Rajcic. Svanson gave up the only other run.
JJ Wetherholt went 2-for-2 with three RBI. César Prieto was 2-for-4 with two RBI on a home run. Jimmy Crooks was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Jordan Walker was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Cade McGee had two RBI in relief of Joshua Baez at DH.
The Cardinals lost to the visiting Pirates by the score of 6-1 on Sunday. Starter Kyle Leahy struggled through 2 2/3 innings. The right hander gave up four runs on four hits, struck out one and walked three.
Leahy gave way to Ian Bedell, JoJo Romero, Brycen Mautz, and Edwin Nuñez. Romero and Mautz each allowed a run.
St. Louis’ offense was held to one hit, a single by Yohel Pozo in the fifth inning. The lone run scored on a double play off the bat of Chase Davis in the fifth.
Cardinals and Marmol agree to two-year extension
The second full week of spring training games came with an announcement on Sunday morning that the Cardinals and manager Oliver Marmol came to an agreement on a two-year contract extension.
Oliver Marmol (Steve Mitchell/Imagn)
An extension for Marmol had been rumored to be under discussion since spring training began. Marmol is entering the final year of his contract in 2026, and with the team being under new front office management and a rebuild underway, the status of Marmol going forward was a topic of importance to the organization.
The announcement is a two-year extension with a club option for 2029. Marmol’s first season as manager was 2022, following the surprise termination of Mike Shildt at the end of the 2021 season.
Marmol is a former minor league player for the Cardinals and a long-time employee of the organization. The nonplaying segment of his career began as the hitting coach of the rookie league Gulf Coast League Cardinals in 2011. He advanced to manager of the rookie level Johnson City Cardinals the following season.
Marmol’s gradual progression through the system led to a major league position as the Cardinals’ first base coach in 2017. He was promoted to bench coach beginning in the 2019 season under Shildt through the end of the 2021 season when Shildt was terminated.
In his first season as manager, Marmol led the team to an NL Central title with a 93-69 record, and a postseason spot in the NL Wild Card Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Cardinals were swept in two games in that series and have not returned to the postseason since.
The underperformance of the team over the last three seasons was ultimately tied to a lack of emerging talent and failed player development. An attempt to plug holes in the major league roster through short term free agent signings proved unsuccessful and the team announced a shift in priorities after the 2024 season to rebuild the player development system. Chaim Bloom was hired to oversee that project with the intent of him taking over the position of President of Baseball Operations when the contract of John Mozeliak expired at the end of the 2025 season.
The decision to extend Marmol for two seasons while the rebuild is underway is a decision hinted at by Bloom over the last few months. Bloom has expressed his confidence in Marmol to guide the team forward during a crucial reconstruction of the organization.
News and Notes for Spring Training
This section contains information and snippets of news that don’t require extensive coverage but are of interest to Cardinal fans.
The Cardinals are promoting “Coca-Cola Unlimited” tickets for the upcoming season. These tickets are now on sale and are for seating in Big Mac Land, specifically sections 271 and 272. Fans purchasing these tickets get access to food and drink at a designated “unlimited concession stand”. More information on these tickets can be found here .
Cardinals all-inclusive tickets, Opening Day tickets, Cardinals Theme tickets, and single game tickets are now on sale. Information on purchasing any of these tickets and more can be found here. Spring Training tickets are also available to be purchased here.
“Banana Ball” will return to Busch Stadium in 2026. The Savannah Bananas popular entertainment baseball team will come to Busch Stadium on Friday, August 21 and Saturday, August 22 as part of their world tour.
More information about the event and how to get tickets can be found here.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals finished their first full week of spring training games and began their second full week of games. The team is 5-4 while showing big offense some days and little to none other times.
The next few weeks, the Cardinals will be without eight players who left camp to play for their respective countries of origin or of parent(s) origin in the World Baseball Classic. Pool play in the WBC begins on March 5. Two players on the major league roster, Gordon Graceffo and Thomas Saggese, will play for Team Italy in the WBC.
On Sunday morning, the Cardinals announced that they had reached agreement with manager Oliver Marmol on a two-year contract extension with an option for 2029. This agreement was not unexpected, as the organization had announced previously that talks for an extension had begun.
The extension was not without controversy among fans, as many blame Marmol for the team’s poor showing over the last three seasons. It is easy to blame a manager for a team’s poor performance as he is the face of the team. However, it is never as simple as that. Managers don’t put players on the roster, and players must perform. The degradation of the Cardinals’ player development system over the last several seasons cannot be blamed on the manager. The resulting lack of emerging young talent from the farm system, especially on the pitching side of the equation, is a key reason as well for the team’s woes.
POBO Chaim Bloom has from the beginning expressed a desire to keep Marmol on during the period of the rebuild. The undertaking of a multi-year reconstruction is not the time for a distraction such as a search for a new manager. Continuity is important.
With Marmol set to continue in his role, the Cardinals are on their way to building a roster for the future that is sustainable and talented enough to contend for years to come, even if the beginning few years may not be what fans want to see.
The remaining time before the season starts is the time to get the current roster ready for the 162-game season. Further player additions to the organization are still possible, though no rumors of potential trades or free agent signings have been forthcoming.
Stay tuned for more happenings as spring training continues.
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
2/26 RHP Zak Kent was claimed off waivers by the Minnesota Twins.
RHS Hunter Dobbins is still recovering from a torn ACL in his right knee which occurred in July. Dobbins can pitch but is being held out of agility drills. Dobbins recently underwent testing on his knee, and the results were as expected. The next steps in Dobbins’ rehab are being mapped out.
LHR Zack Thompson missed the 2025 season with a torn lat muscle and underwent surgery in August to clean up his left shoulder. Thompson is on a throwing program, and he won’t be cleared to pitch until sometime after the regular season starts. He is no longer on the 40-man roster so at the end of camp, he will likely be assigned to Memphis.
RHR Riley O’Brien (mid-right calf strain) suffered his injury during a bullpen session on February 14. The injury is mild, but he will need a few weeks to recover. O’Brien was set to play in the WBC for Korea but will miss at least the opening round. He could play in the WBC later depending on his health.
Looking Ahead
Spring training begins its second full week as February has concluded.
March begins with a slate of games the first week that includes two with the Pirates, one at home and one on the road, one game each with the Marlins, Orioles, and Mets, and a March 4 contest with the WBC Nicaraguan team in preparation for the WBC, which begins on March 5.
The Cardinals have eight players in the WBC. This number does not include Riley O’Brien who will miss at least the first round due to injury. The list also does not include Iván Herrera, who was set to play in the tournament but had to withdraw due to insurance issues. Also, newcomer Ramon Urias decided not to join Team Mexico after signing late.
All eight players will have a shortened spring training but will be ready to play when their season starts. Only two of the eight players are likely to make the major league roster. They are reliever Gordon Graceffo and Thomas Saggese. The latter is in the mix to serve as the fill-in left fielder until Nootbaar is healthy.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast from the Past continues the series highlighting notable events that occurred in the history of the franchise during a relevant period. They include occasions such as awards, retirements, baseball transactions, and other interesting events.
John McGraw
In this installment, we look at events that occurred during the period February 23 through March 1. For each event, its date, individual(s) involved, a description of the event, and any other relevant details are provided.
February 25, 1934 – Former Cardinal player and future Hall of Fame manager John McGraw passed away. McGraw, a player for the Cardinals for one season in 1900, managed the New York Giants for almost 30 years, and holds the record for the most wins as a manager. McGraw died three years before he was selected for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937.
Steve Carlton
February 25, 1972 – The Cardinals make one their worst trades in the history of the franchise. In a salary dispute, left-handed pitcher Steve Carlton, future Hall of Famer and four-time Cy Young Award winner, was traded by the Cardinals to the Phillies for RHP Rick Wise. Wise spent a mostly unremarkable two seasons in St. Louis and then was traded to the Boston Red Sox.
February 27, 1990 – The Cardinals acquired RHP Omar Olivares from the San Diego Padres for CF Alex Cole and LHP Steve Peters. Olivares pitched for the Cardinals for five seasons and was released in 1995.
Red Schoendienst
February 28, 1989 – Former Cardinals’ second baseman and manager Red Schoendienst was selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee.
March 1, 2012 – Yadier Molina signed a five-year/$75 million contract to remain with the Cardinals. This made Molina one of the highest paid catchers in the league at that time.
Now available – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its ninth year. It includes 275 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including over five dozen all-new player scouting reports by Kyle Reis. Order your PDF or spiral-bound printed book today.
All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
photo: Ramon Urias (Frank Ramirez/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals signed infielder Ramón Urías and split their first two spring training contests of 2026. Our history section highlights key events this past week in team annals.
The St. Louis Cardinals lost to the Washington Nationals in the first spring game of 2026 on Saturday. Matthew Liberatore pitched two scoreless innings to start the game. He gave up two hits and fanned four.
Eight pitchers followed Liberatore – Quinn Mathews, Tyler Bradt, Ryan Fernandez, DJ Carpenter, Luis Gastelum, Packy Naughton, Skylar Hales and Austin Love. Mathews gave up two runs and Fernandez allowed the other four. Hales fanned the side swinging in the eighth.
CF Nathan Church hit a solo home run for the Cardinals’ first score. In the fourth, JJ Wetherholt walked, advanced on a José Fermín double, and scored on a wild pitch.
Wetherholt made a fielding error and Joshua Baez had an outfield assist.
In their second spring game, the Cardinals prevailed over the Houston Astros in West Palm Beach. Kyle Leahy made the start and pitched two innings, gave up one run on one hit, one walk and three strikeouts.
Pitchers who followed were Chris Roycroft, Max Rajcic, Scott Blewett, Gerson Moreno, Nick Raquet, Mason Burns and Darlin Saladin.
Leahy gave up a long ball in the second inning. Otherwise, he pitched well. Blewett allowed the Astros’ second run. Cardinals pitching held Houston to two runs until the ninth inning. Burns walked three Astros, and Saladin came in with the bases loaded and allowed all three to score. He got out of the inning without further damage.
St. Louis’ offense put up six runs on nine hits. Third-ranked prospect Rainiel Rodriguez drove in one run on a double. Yohel Pozo and César Prieto each had two RBI. Thomas Saggese also drove in a run.
The Cardinals added to their infield depth on Saturday by signing free agent third baseman Ramón Urías to a major league contract. The contract is a one year, $2 million deal with a $500K buyout on a mutual option for 2027.
Urías was acquired from a Mexican League team by the Cardinals in January 2018 as a free agent. He did not appear in a major league game for the Cardinals. Urías was claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles on February 11, 2020 and played for the Orioles for six seasons. He was traded to the Houston Astros at the deadline in 2025 and was non-tendered at the end of the season.
Urías slashed .257/.321/.403/.724 with 50 home runs and 215 RBI in his six seasons in Baltimore. He won a Gold Glove at third base in 2022.
The Cardinals designated RHP Zak Kent for assignment to make room on the roster for Urías. The Cardinals had originally claimed Kent from the Guardians in December. In January, the Cardinals designated Kent for assignment to make room for LHP Justin Bruihl. Kent was claimed by the Texas Rangers, who then weeks later designated Kent for assignment to add Jordan Montgomery. The Cardinals claimed Kent last week, only to designate him for assignment again. This was the fourth time since December that Kent has been placed on waivers, once by Cleveland, once by Texas, and now twice by the Cardinals.
News and Notes for Spring Training
This section in the coming weeks contains information and snippets of news that don’t require extensive coverage but are of interest to Cardinal fans.
Figure skater Alysa Liu won a Gold Medal in the Olympics, but that is not her only accomplishment. Liu threw out the first pitch in Busch Stadium at a game against the Pirates on May 8, 2025. Liu was in St. Louis to promote the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, which took place in St. Louis in January 2026. Fans can read about the event and see the video of the pitch here.
Cardinals all-inclusive tickets, Opening Day tickets, Cardinals Theme tickets, and single game tickets are now on sale. Information on purchasing any of these tickets and more can be found here. Spring Training tickets are also available to be purchased here.
“Banana Ball” will return to Busch Stadium in 2026. The Savannah Bananas popular entertainment baseball team will come to Busch Stadium on Friday, August 21 and Saturday, August 22 as part of their world tour.
More information about the event and how to get tickets can be found here.
The Big Picture
Spring Training games began on Saturday and the team has won one and lost one. There is one more week of games before players leave camp for the World Baseball Classic, which begins on March 5. Eight players will be leaving camp, including two players from the major league roster, Thomas Saggese and Gordon Graceffo. Riley O’Brien was scheduled to go as well, but he suffered a minor injury in camp and will miss at least the first round of the tournament. Catcher Ivan Herrera was unable to secure insurance so bowed out of participating for Panama.
The Cardinals made another last-minute addition to the major league roster on Saturday, signing free agent 3B Ramón Urías. RHR Zak Kent was designated for assignment for the second time by the Cardinals to make room on the roster. Urías role is unknown. The Cardinals have several other third base options in addition to Urías, including Nolan Gorman, Jose Fermin and Thomas Saggese. Fermin and Saggese have also been going through outfield drills in camp, so they may be among those who will fill in for Lars Nootbaar in left field while he rehabs from heel surgery.
Whether the roster as it stands is the roster when the season starts remains to be seen. POBO Chaim Bloom could have other moves in mind, as he seeks to build a younger and better roster for the future. Jo Jo Romero, who was the subject of many trade rumors during the offseason, is still in camp, but a trade of him could still happen before the season begins. The focus of the majority of Bloom’s offseason activity was acquiring pitching, so the Cardinals have a plethora of pitching options for the bullpen that could fill in if Romero is traded.
For the time being, however, the roster looks to be mostly in place. Some moves around the margins are still possible.
Spring games will continue for the next month and a picture of what the opening day roster will look like will start to form. It is almost a certainty that top prospect JJ Wetherholt will be on that roster. The remainder will likely look similar to last season, sans the four veterans who were traded. Positions will be flexible, other than Masyn Winn at shortstop. Players who were part timers and fill-ins last season will get more regular playing time.
Stay tuned for more happenings as spring training continues.
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
2/16 The Cardinals claimed RHP Zak Kent off waivers from the Texas Rangers.
2/16 The Cardinals designated 3B Bryan Ramos for assignment.
2/20 3B Bryan Ramos was claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles.
2/21 The Cardinals designated RHP Zak Kent for assignment.
2/21 The Cardinals signed free agent 3B Ramón Urías.
RHP Hunter Dobbins is still recovering from a torn ACL in his right knee which occurred in July. Dobbins can pitch but is being held out of agility drills. Dobbins recently underwent testing on his knee and the results were as expected. The next steps in Dobbins’ rehab are being mapped out.
LHP Zack Thompson missed all the 2025 season with a torn lat muscle and underwent surgery in August to clean up his left shoulder. Thompson is on a throwing program and he won’t be cleared to pitch until sometime after the regular season starts.
RHP Riley O’Brien suffered a mid-right calf strain injury during a bullpen session on February 14. The injury is mild, but he will need a few weeks to recover. O’Brien was set to play in the WBC for Korea but will miss at least the opening round. He could play in the WBC later depending on his health.
Looking Ahead
Spring Training games are underway. The team split their first two games against the Nationals and Astros over the weekend.
The first full week of spring games will include a second game against the Nationals, and two games each with the Astros, Mets, and Marlins to conclude the month of February.
The month of March begins with a slate of games the first week that includes two games with the Pirates, one at home and one on the road, one game each with the Marlins, Orioles, and Mets, and a March 4 game with the World Baseball Classic Nicaraguan team in preparation for the WBC which begins on March 5.
The Cardinals have eight players in the WBC. This number does not include Riley O’Brien who will miss at least the first round due to injury. The list also does not include Iván Herrera, who was set to play in the tournament but had to withdraw due to insurance issues.
All eight players will have a shortened spring training but should be ready to play when their season starts. Two of the eight players most likely to make the major league roster are Gordon Graceffo and Thomas Saggese.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast from the Past will continue with the series highlighting some notable events that occurred in the history of the franchise for a relevant period. This includes awards, retirements, baseball transactions, and other interesting events.
In this installment, we look at events that occurred during the period February 16 through February 22. For each event, its date, individual(s) involved, a description of the event, and any other relevant details are provided.
Tim McCarver
February 16, 2023 – Former Cardinals catcher and broadcaster Tim McCarver passed away at the age of 81.
February 18, 1998 – Former Cardinals and Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray passed away at the age of 84.
February 18, 2011 – After agreeing to a minor league contract with the Cardinals, outfielder Jim Edmonds announced in spring training that he was retiring from baseball.
Ozzie Smith (Getty Images)
February 19, 1982 – The trade of Garry Templeton to the San Diego Padres for SS Ozzie Smith was completed by the Cardinals, sending LHP Luis DeLeon to San Diego.
February 20, 1942 – Former Cardinal icon Stan Musial attended his first spring training with the Cardinals.
February 20, 1953 – To keep the Cardinals in St. Louis, August Busch Jr. convinced the Board of Directors of Anheuser-Busch to authorize a purchase of the team for $3.75 million from previous owner Fred Saigh. Saigh was forced to sell the team after pleading no contest to tax evasion and being sentenced to 15 months in federal prison.
February 21, 2006 – The Cardinals signed free agent RHP Josh Hancock who had been released by the Reds. He pitched the entire 2026 season but did not pitch in the World Series. Hancock returned for 2007, but on April 29, Hancock was killed in a car accident when his Ford Explorer struck the rear of a flatbed tow truck. It was later determined that Hancock was intoxicated at the time of the accident and was also texting on his phone and not wearing a seatbelt.
Now available – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its ninth year. It includes 275 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including over five dozen all-new player scouting reports by Kyle Reis. Order your PDF or spiral-bound printed book today.
All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
photo: George Soriano (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals acquired reliever George Soriano from Washington for Andre Granillo. The Spring Training TV and Radio schedule has been announced. Our history section highlights key events this past week in team annals.
Cardinals make a reliever swap
In a surprise move announced on Tuesday, February 10, the St. Louis Cardinals traded RHP Andre Granillo to the Washington Nationals for RHP George Soriano.
Granillo, 25, made his major league debut with St. Louis on June 12, 2025. In 14 appearances last season, Granillo posted a 4.71 ERA in 21 innings. He struck out 18, walked seven, and recorded one save.
Soriano, 26, made his major league debut with the Miami Marlins on April 16, 2023. Soriano spent much of the subsequent time traveling back and forth between the minor leagues and the major league team. In a combined 72 appearances over three MLB seasons, Soriano posted a 3-1 record with an ERA of 5.95. He struck out 117 and walked 55 in 118 innings.
Soriano was claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles on November 5, 2025. The Orioles designated him for assignment on January 5, 2026. The Atlanta Braves claimed Soriano on January 9, and he was designated for assignment again on January 26. He was claimed off waivers by the Nationals on January 30, 2026, who then designated him for assignment on February 5. The Nats traded him to the Cardinals on February 10.
Unlike Granillo, Soriano has no minor league options remaining, so he will need to make the Cardinals out of spring training or will likely be back on the waiver wire.
Spring Training TV and Radio Schedule announced
The St. Louis Cardinals have announced that fans will be able to catch 29 of the club’s 30 spring contests on either Cardinals.TV, Matrix Midwest, KMOX 104.1 FM & 1120 AM/Cardinals Radio Network affiliates or MLB digital platforms.
The Cardinals Spring Training schedule will consist of 28 Grapefruit League games and two exhibition matchups against Team Nicaragua at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium and the club’s Double-A affiliate Springfield Cardinals at Hammons Field.
This section contains information and snippets of news that don’t require extensive coverage but may be of interest to Cardinal fans.
Cardinals all-inclusive tickets, Opening Day tickets, Cardinals Theme tickets, and single game tickets are now on sale. Information on purchasing any of these tickets and more can be found here. Spring Training tickets are also available here.
“Banana Ball” will return to Busch Stadium in 2026. The Savannah Bananas popular entertainment baseball team will come to Busch Stadium on Friday, August 21 and Saturday, August 22 as part of their world tour. More information can be found here.
The Big Picture
Spring training is underway. Pitchers and catchers have reported and have begun workouts. Full team workouts begin on Monday, February 16. The team will play its first spring game on Saturday, September 21 against the Nationals.
RHP Andre Granillo had already reported to camp when it was announced he had been traded to the Nationals for RHP George Soriano. Soriano had an indifferent and short major league career with the Miami Marlins before he became a bouncing ball on waivers this offseason. He went from the Orioles to the Braves, to the Nationals within a three-month period. The Cardinals say they see something in Soriano they can improve upon, otherwise this trade doesn’t make much sense.
JoJo Romero is in camp. There were many rumors of a possible trade of Romero during the offseason, but none came to fruition. This is Romero’s walk season, so a trade at the deadline, if not before, seems likely.
Aside from Romero, unless the Cardinals find a desired acquisition of a right-handed outfielder or some other deal they can’t pass up, the 40-man roster that is in place is the roster that may begin the season. Of course, this assumes no non-roster invitees make the team.
Stay tuned for more happenings as spring training continues.
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
2/10 The Cardinals traded RHP Andre Granillo to the Washington Nationals for RHP George Soriano.
OF Lars Nootbaar has not yet reported to camp. Nootbaar’s rehab requires a piece of specialized equipment, and the team is waiting for that equipment to arrive at the Jupiter facility. Nootbaar will not report to camp until after the first workout begins on Monday and the equipment arrives at the facility.
RHP Hunter Dobbins is still recovering from a torn ACL in his right knee which occurred in July. Dobbins can pitch but is being held out of agility drills. The team hopes to have a clearer answer next week.
LHP Zack Thompson missed the entire 2025 season with a torn lat muscle and underwent surgery in August to clean up his left shoulder. Thompson is on a throwing program and he won’t be cleared to pitch until sometime after the regular season starts.
As first reported by TCN’s Brian Walton, non-roster pitching invitee Ixan Henderson is on a non-throwing program after suffering a mild pronator strain.
Cardinals catcher Ivan Herrera, who had shoulder surgery in the off-season, has pulled out of playing in the World Baseball Classic for his homeland of Panama due to inability to acquire insurance.
Looking Ahead
Spring Training is underway. Full workouts begin on Monday.
The Cardinals will play their first spring game at Roger Dean Stadium on Saturday, February 21 against the Washington Nationals.
The first full week of spring action will include a second contest against the Nationals, and two each with the Astros, Mets, and Marlins to conclude the month of February.
March begins with a slate of games that include two with the Pirates, one at home and one on the road, one each with the Marlins, Orioles, and Mets, and a March 4 tilt with the WBC Nicaraguan team in preparation for the World Baseball Classic, which begins on March 5.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast from the Past will continue with the series highlighting notable events in the history of the franchise during a relevant period.
In this installment, we look at events that occurred during the period February 9 through February 15. For each event, its date, individual(s) involved, a description of the event, and any other relevant details are provided.
Flint Rhem
February 11, 1934 – The Cardinals purchased RHP Flint Rhem from the Philadelphia Phillies. Rhem originally began his career with the Cardinals and made his debut on September 6, 1924. He pitched for the Cardinals for seven seasons and helped the team win the 1926 and 1931 World Series. He was traded to the Phillies in 1932. After Rhem returned to the Cardinals in 1934, he was part of the 1934 World Series victory. Rhem played two seasons with the Boston Braves and returned to the Cardinals for the third time in 1936 to close his big-league career.
Barack Obama and Stan Musial, 02/15/11 (AP photo)
February 13, 1996 – The Cardinals acquired RHP Dennis Eckersley from the Oakland Athletics for RHP Steve Montgomery. Eckersley pitched for St. Louis for two seasons and saved 66 games. “Eck” became a free agent at the end of the 1997 season and finished his career with the Boston Red Sox.
February 15, 2011 – Cardinal icon Stan Musial was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama. The award was granted after a local grass roots group lobbied for his selection. Musial joined Hank Aaron, Moe Berg, Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, and Ted Williams among baseball players who received the most prestigious award that can be given to a civilian.
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The St. Louis Cardinals completed the Brendan Donovan trade, acquiring five players/draft picks. 2026 TV plans are clearer, Stubby Clapp is honored, WBC players are known and more. Our history section highlights key events this past week in team annals.
Cardinals trade Brendan Donovan in three-team swap
Following a long offseason of speculation, rumors, twists and turns, the St. Louis Cardinals finalized the trade of Brendan Donovan on Monday, February 2. Donovan had long been rumored to be headed to the Seattle Mariners or the San Francisco Giants, and it was the Mariners who won the sweepstakes.
What wasn’t expected or rumored was the involvement of a third team. The Cardinals had throughout been asking for two top prospects for Donovan, according to several sources. It appeared that the number of prospects was a sticking point, but in the end, the Cardinals got that and more.
When the trade was announced, it involved two prospects coming from Seattle, switch pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje, and OF Tai Peete, both top 30 prospects in the Mariners system. The third team involved, the Tampa Bay Rays, acquired 3B Ben Williamson from the Mariners, and sent OF Colton Ledbetter to the Cardinals. In addition, the Cardinals received two Compensatory Round B draft picks, one from Seattle and one from Tampa Bay.
This was quite a haul for St. Louis and was more than what was long rumored to be the ask for Donovan. The two picks, likely to be 68th and 72nd, give the Cardinals five picks out of the first 100 (13th, 50th, 68th, 72nd, and 86th).
Cijntje, 22, was the Mariners first round pick in 2024, is a native of Curacao, and ended his 2025 season at the Double-A Arkansas Travelers of the Texas League. In 33 innings pitched, Cijntje was 1-0 with a 2.67 ERA. Prior to that, he pitched at High-A Everett Aqua Sox of the Northwest League where he posted an ERA of 4.58 in 74 innings. He will likely start 2026 with the Springfield Cardinals.
Before the trade, the Mariners had decided to have the switch pitcher focus mainly on pitching right-handed, with which he had better success. The Cardinals will likely continue that focus.
Peete, 20, was the Mariners first round pick in 2023, drafted out of high school. Peete, who has played OF and SS, was exclusively an outfielder in 2025 at High-A Everett Aqua Sox. There he slashed .217/.288/.404 with 19 home runs and 63 RBI. Peete has some power but struck out at a high rate (30.6%). Peete stole 25 bases during his 2025 season, and played in center field in 100 of his 125 games in High-A.
Ledbetter, 24, played his 2025 season with Double-A Montgomery Biscuits of the Southern League. There he slashed .265/.337/.378 with seven home runs and 49 RBI. He stole 37 bases in 123 games.
Peete and Ledbetter could be headed to the Peoria Chiefs and Springfield Cardinals, respectively.
Rosters announced for the 2026 World Baseball Classic
The rosters for the 2026 World Baseball Classic were announced on Thursday, February 5. The WBC takes place during Spring Training, beginning Wednesday, March 4 and continuing through Tuesday, March 17. The tournament consists of 20 teams divided into four Pools playing in four different venues, which include Houston, Miami, Tokyo, Japan and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Ten Cardinals will play in the WBC, four of whom are on the major league roster. Reliever Riley O’Brien will play for Korea, reliever Gordon Graceffo and infielder Thomas Saggese will both play for Italy and catcher/DH Iván Herrera will play for Panama.
The additional six are minor league players Leonardo Bernal (Panama), Luis Gastelum (Mexico), Matt Kopernial (Great Britain), Zach Levenson (Israel), Noah Mendlinger (Israel) and Bryan Torres (Puerto Rico).
No Cardinals will play on Team USA. Former Cardinals Paul Goldschmidt and Michael Wacha are on the USA roster. Other former Cardinals who will play in the WBC include Nolan Arenado (Puerto Rico), Willson Contreras (Venezuela), Harrison Bader (Israel), Tyler O’Neill (Canada), Randy Arozarena (Mexico), Sandy Alcantara (Dominican Republic), Edmundo Sosa (Panama), Oddanier Mosqueda (Venezuela), Nabil Crismatt (Colombia), Matt Bowman (Israel), and Robert Stock (Israel).
Cardinals set 2026 broadcast home
The Cardinals announced on Monday, February 2, that their games for the 2026 season will be produced and distributed by MLB. That move was largely expected, given the precarious financial position of their previous broadcast partner, FanDuel Sports Network.
The new arrangement, called Cardinals.TV, will be available on traditional cable and satellite venues, and will be streamed as part of a direct-to-consumer package that becomes available for purchase on February 10. That package will cost $19.99 per month or $99 on a yearly basis to in-market Cardinals fans. They wlll be free of blackout restrictions (except for nationally broadcast games, which will not be available on Cardinals.TV). Out of market fans can continue to watch games on MLB.TV.
More specific information can be accessed on the Cardinals website here.
Cardinals coach Stubby Clapp to be inducted into Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
Stubby Clapp (Steve Mitchell/Imagn)
On Thursday, February 6, the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame announced their 2026 inductees in a Zoom press conference at 12 pm CT. The list of inductees included Cardinals’ first base coach Stubby Clapp.
Clapp, 52, is best known as the long time first base coach of the St. Louis Cardinals. Clapp, a native of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, played baseball in high school in Ontario and at Texas Tech University. He was drafted by the Cardinals in the 36th round in 1996 and played in the organization from 1996-2002. He made his major league debut on June 18, 2001 and played in 23 games that season. He spent 2003 and 2004 in the minor league systems of the Atlanta Braves and Toronto Blue Jays, followed by two seasons in the Independent Leagues.
In his four years playing for the Cardinals’ Triple-A Memphis Redbirds, he became known as the “Mayor of Memphis”.
In 2004, Clapp played for Team Canada in the Olympics and was part of the 2006 inaugural World Baseball Classic for Team Canada. His most notable achievement is hitting the bases loaded single in the 11th inning of a game between the U.S. and Canada in the 1999 Pan-American Games that put Canada into the semifinals.
In 2007, Clapp’s #10 was the first jersey retired by the Memphis Redbirds.
Clapp began his post-playing career as the hitting coach for the Houston Astros Single-A Lexington Legends. He moved up to hitting coach for the Corpus Christi Hooks in 2010. He then became the manager of the Astros Single-A affiliate, the Tri-City Valley Cats, for the 2011 and 2012 seasons.
In 2013, he was hired as the hitting coach of the Dunedin Blue Jays, High-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. He was the hitting coach for the Blue Jays Double-A affiliate New Hampshire Fisher Cats in 2014.
Clapp was named third base coach for the Canada national baseball team at the 2015 Pan-American Games. Team Canada won the gold medal.
The Cardinals hired Clapp to manage the Memphis Redbirds for the 2017 season. He managed the Redbirds in 2018 to their second consecutive league championship. After that season, the Cardinals hired him to be the first base coach for the major league team, where he continues today.
The induction ceremony for the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame will take place on Saturday, June 20, 2026, in St. Mary’s, Ontario.
News and Notes for the Offseason
This section contains information and snippets of news that don’t require extensive coverage but are of interest to Cardinal fans.
Louis billionaire David Hoffman expressed interest in buying the St. Louis Cardinals during a local business event on February 5. Hoffman’s family acquired a controlling interest in the Pittsburgh Penguins NHL team last year and he has set his sights on purchasing the Cardinals someday. When asked for comment by Fox 2 News, Cardinals’ President Bill DeWitt III replied, “Our family remains committed to St. Louis and the Cardinals. We have no plans to sell the team.”
Cardinals all-inclusive tickets, Opening Day tickets, Cardinals Theme tickets, and single game tickets are now on sale. Information on purchasing any of these tickets and more can be found here. Spring Training tickets are also available to be purchased here.
“Banana Ball” will return to Busch Stadium in 2026. The Savannah Bananas popular entertainment baseball team will come to Busch Stadium on Friday, August 21 and Saturday, August 22 as part of their world tour.
More information about the event and how to get tickets can be found here.
The Big Picture
After two weeks of basically no activity, the Cardinals finally announced that they had traded 2B Brendan Donovan to the Seattle Mariners in a three-team deal that included the Tampa Bay Rays. The Cardinals netted two prospects from Seattle, switch pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje and OF Tai Peete, one prospect from Tampa Bay, OF Colton Ledbetter, and a Compensatory Round B draft pick from each team.
With Donovan now off the board, any additional trades are unknown at this time, though LHP JoJo Romero has been the subject of many rumors and could still be traded before the season starts.
The Cardinals continue to seek a right-handed hitting outfielder. Several of the potential candidates the Cardinals may have been considering have already found other homes. A few remain, including former Cardinals Randal Grichuk and Tommy Pham.
The 40-man roster is full, so the option of signing a free agent or bringing up a righty outfielder from the minor leagues is only possible if someone on the roster is traded or removed. The Cardinals have signed a few right-handed hitting outfielders to minor league contracts and one could possibly be added at some point.
Spring Training is set to start this week. Pitchers and catchers report on Wednesday. The full squad has its first workout on Monday, February 16.
Spring game play begins Saturday, February 21 against the Washington Nationals. Information on when or if fans can watch any of the spring training games is not yet unavailable.
The Cardinals have cut ties with FanDuel Sports Network and will have MLB produce and distribute Cardinal games. The bare bones information is up at the Cardinals website, but specifics as to what cable and satellite broadcast providers will be showing the games and the channels where they can be seen are unknown at this time. No schedule for broadcast or info on whether they can be streamed on the new Cardinals.TV has been released as of this writing. The team website only states that this information will become available “at a later date”.
It is assumed that most if not all of the spring games will be available on audio as usual, and fans can listen if they cannot watch.
Stay tuned for more happenings as what remains of the offseason continues.
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
In a media Zoom call last Monday, POBO Chaim Bloom said he remains interested in adding a right-handed hitting outfielder to the major league roster. Bloom also mentioned infielders Thomas Saggese and Jose Fermin may be used on the grass.
Several of the outfielders who were reportedly on Bloom’s radar have already been signed by other teams. These include Harrison Bader (Giants), Austin Hays (White Sox) and Miguel Andujar (Padres). Other right-handed outfielders remain on the market, and two in particular, Randal Grichuk and Tommy Pham, are former Cardinals.
Transactions
2/2 The Cardinals traded 2B Brendan Donovan to the Seattle Mariners for CF Colton Ledbetter, SHP Jurrangelo Cijntje, OF Tai Peete, and two Comp Round B Draft Picks.
2/5 The Cardinals signed free agent OF Bligh Madris to a minor league contract.
2/6 The Cardinals claimed 3B Bryan Ramos off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles.
2/6 The Cardinals signed free agent RHP Justin Militello to a minor league contract.
Injury Report
There are no new injuries to report.
Looking Ahead
February is Spring Training month. Pitchers and catchers report this week, on Wednesday, February 11, with the first workout day on Thursday, February 12. Position players will report after February 12 and the first full squad workout will be Monday, February 16. The Cardinals play their first spring game at Roger Dean Stadium on Saturday, February 21 against the Washington Nationals.
The first full week of spring games will include a second game against the Nationals, and two games each with the Astros, Mets, and Marlins to conclude the month of February.
The month of March begins with a slate of games the first week that includes two games with the Pirates, one at home and one on the road, one game each with the Marlins, Orioles, and Mets, and a March 4 game with the World Baseball Classic Nicaraguan team in preparation for the WBC, which begins on March 5.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast from the Past continues with the series highlighting notable events that occurred in the history of the franchise during the current period. The offseason brings occasions such as awards, retirements, baseball transactions, and other interesting events.
In this installment, we look at events that occurred during the period February 2 through February 8. For each event, its date, individual(s) involved, a description of the event, and any other relevant details are provided.
February 5, 2002 – LHP Luis Arroyo was inducted in the Latin American Baseball Hall of Fame. Arroyo started for the Cardinals for one season, 1955, when the rookie made the NL All-Star team. Despite his success, the Cardinals traded him to the Pittsburgh Pirates at the end of the season. He went on to have his best season with the Yankees in 1961.
Dizzy Dean
February 6, 1935 – Pitcher Dizzy Dean became a holdout on his contract on this date, demanding a salary of $25,000. Dean eventually signed for $19,500.
February 6, 1951 – Former Cardinals player and manager Gabby Street passed away due to heart failure at his home in Joplin, Missouri. He was 68 years old.
February 8, 2002 – The Cardinals purchased the contract of Eduardo Perez from the Hanshin Tigers of the NPB. The Cardinals had sold Perez to the Tigers just two years earlier, at the end of the 2000 season. Perez was granted free agency in October 2003 and signed with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
February 8, 2013 – The Cardinals broke ground on the first phase of Ballpark Village. The $100 million project featured a 100,000 square foot dining and entertainment district, which included Cardinals Nation restaurant and the Budweiser Brew House.
Now available – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide
The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its ninth year. It includes 275 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including over five dozen all-new player scouting reports by Kyle Reis. Order your PDF or spiral-bound printed book today.
All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!
Memphis 3, Indianapolis 0 (seven innings, game one)
Springfield 2 at NW Arkansas 4 (seven innings, game one)
Peoria at Great Lakes (postponed)
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Looking Ahead
Now available – 2026 Cardinals Prospect Guide 
Palm Beach vs. St. Lucie
The final spring training game in Florida was played on Sunday, March 22. The team will leave Florida for Missouri and will play one final exhibition game in Springfield, Missouri on Monday, March 23 at Hammons Field. (The Springfield squad will be made up of mostly the 2026 Memphis Redbirds roster, which also concluded their spring training on Sunday).
The Cardinals announced on Monday, February 2, that their games for the 2026 season will be produced and distributed by MLB. That move was largely expected, given the precarious financial position of their previous broadcast partner, FanDuel Sports Network.
