The St. Louis Cardinals caught a fortunate break when weather once again disrupted their schedule. Luckily, they had an easy solution for the pitching staff. Michael McGreevy was already on normal rest and slated to start the second game of Thursday’s doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox. He was also tentatively scheduled to pitch on June 24 against the Cubs, a plan that could still happen barring more weather interruptions. Meanwhile, Sonny Gray is being worked back into the rotation, and while the frequent doubleheaders present new challenges, the Cardinals have been able to rely on their young pitchers—something they haven’t had to do much yet—thanks to a mix of careful planning and sheer luck.
“This kind of thing usually doesn’t happen,” said manager Oli Marmol about the team’s unusually good fortune with pitching health. “We planned for McGreevy to be here. The fact it worked out this way is part scheduling, part luck. Let’s not pretend it’s all planning.”
The Cardinals have had just one pitcher land on the Major League injured list this season—Zack Thompson, who strained his lat in spring training. However, Thompson wasn’t expected to make the Opening Day roster or be a major contributor this year. When April rolled around, the Cardinals introduced a sixth starter—Steven Matz initially—to manage pitcher workloads, both as a long-term health strategy and because they knew they lacked depth if they had to dip into Triple-A Memphis too often.
That lack of depth is evident. Beyond McGreevy, only Alex Cornwell has made 10 starts for Memphis. But Cornwell, a 26-year-old lefty, has struggled with an ERA near 8 and a poor strikeout-to-walk ratio. Ian Bedell has fared even worse, with an ERA close to 9 over nine starts. Curtis Taylor has better numbers, but the soon-to-be 30-year-old last started consistently in 2017 and has spent recent years in independent and Mexican leagues. While his recent performance is encouraging, he wasn’t viewed as reliable depth at season’s start.
While the Cardinals have been lucky with injuries at the MLB level, the same hasn’t been true in the minors. Top prospects like Cooper Hjerpe and Sem Robberse are out for this season and part of next after Tommy John surgery. Drew Rom, who missed all of last season with a shoulder injury, is hurt again after a brief return. Tink Hence only just returned from a rib injury and has been assigned to Double-A.
In that context, the fact that Quinn Mathews’ shoulder issue turned out to be mechanical rather than structural was a relief. He’s now back in action with Memphis and has impressed with a 2.30 ERA and 20 strikeouts over 15⅔ innings since his return. He was widely expected to debut in 2025, but that call-up could come sooner depending on what the Cardinals do at the trade deadline. If they trade Erick Fedde or find a deal involving Miles Mikolas, opportunities could open up for other arms.
Last year, after trading away Jack Flaherty, Jordan Hicks, and Jordan Montgomery, the Cardinals scrambled to cover innings by signing veteran stopgaps. This year could bring similar scenarios. That’s where someone like Taylor might get a shot, or where reclamation projects like Zach Plesac or Tyler Matzek might earn a return to the majors.
Of course, luck can turn quickly in baseball—especially when it comes to pitching health. The Cardinals know this, and while they’ve been fortunate so far, they’re not taking it for granted. “We try to keep them in the best position to stay healthy,” Marmol said, “but you also need some luck. And so far, we’ve had both.”