St. Louis Cardinals left-hander Steven Matz is one of two starting pitchers for the team who have yet to pitch in a Grapefruit League game, but Matz is going to make his spring training debut on Monday and throw an inning after starter Sonny Gray. Given Matz's extensive injury history over his first two years with the team, the Cardinals felt it best to take it slow with Matz's spring progression this year. He made 15 starts in 2022 due to a shoulder injury and a torn MCL, and a lat strain ended his 2023 season early. But before his lat strain, the veteran southpaw had a 1.86 ERA over seven starts, his best stretch with the Cardinals since joining them before the 2022 season. The 32-year-old will begin the year in the Opening Day rotation, but fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to provide much length, at least early on.

St. Louis Cardinals left-hander Steven Matz (lat) threw a bullpen session on Wednesday on the first day that pitchers and catchers reported to spring training. It's notable after Matz threw only 105 innings in his second year in St. Louis in 2023 because he was shut down in August due to a lat injury. The 32-year-old veteran southpaw posted a 3.86 ERA (3.75 FIP) and 1.33 WHIP while walking 32 and striking out 98 in his 25 appearances (17 starts). Matz was better last year than he was in 2022 in his first year of a four-year, $44 million deal, but he still doesn't move the needle all that much for fantasy managers, mostly because of his injury risk and below-average 22.4 percent career strikeout rate. He threw only 48 innings in 2022 due to shoulder and knee injuries and will most likely miss time at some point again in 2024.

The St. Louis Cardinals have made teams interested in adding starting pitching this offseason aware that left-hander Steven Matz is available via trade, according to sources. Matz signed a four-year, $44 million deal with the Cardinals before the 2022 season. It comes after St. Louis has already added right-handers Sonny Gray, Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn to their starting rotation via free agency this offseason. The Cardinals are also interested in Japanese starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto, so moving Matz would free up a spot for him. The 32-year-old southpaw was better in 2023 than he was in his first year in St. Louis, going 4-7 with a 3.86 ERA (3.75 FIP) and 1.33 WHIP with 32 walks and 98 strikeouts in 105 innings over 25 outings (17 starts).

The St. Louis Cardinals placed left-hander Steven Matz (lat) on the 15-day injured list on Monday with a left-lat strain. Given the specific nature of Matz's injury and the timing with not much left time in the regular season in a lost year for the Cardinals, there's a chance we won't see Matz back at all for the Red Birds in 2023. It's a tough blow for the 32-year-old veteran southpaw and his fantasy managers, as Matz had been excellent after returning to the starting rotation on July 9. Since that time over seven starts, he's allowed just nine runs (eight earned) on 27 hits (three homers) while walking only seven and striking out 38 in 38 2/3 innings. Zack Thompson is expected to take Matz's rotation spot in St. Louis.

St. Louis Cardinals left-handed pitcher Steven Matz takes the ball for Saturday's start versus the Colorado Rockies. The 32-year-old represents a popular fantasy pickup as a streamer for this one, having surrendered a lone run in his last 17 innings pitched. While it seems to be a favorable matchup, fantasy managers should beware of Matz's career 7.55 ERA, his worst figure opposing any one club, over 39.1 IP against Colorado since 2016. Saturday's spot remains an advantageous setup overall, but the southpaw, who finally picked up his first win after 81 IP on July 25, has simply been very inconsistent all year.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Steven Matz will not make his scheduled start against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday, according to manager Oliver Marmol. The left-hander is not dealing with an injury, but will be skipped as part of the team's strategy. The Cardinals have two consecutive off-days on Wednesday and Thursday, so they will use that to their advance. They will skip Matz in the rotation and have Miles Mikolas pitch on Tuesday instead. It sounds like Matz will be available out of the bullpen, but he won't have much value pitching out of the pen.

St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said that the coaching staff is working to determine a path forward for struggling left-hander Steven Matz, who allowed four earned runs in his most recent start on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Angels. Marmol admitted that Matz's reluctance to throw his curveball is "real," and skipping his turn next rotation turn or putting him in the bullpen are options on the table. Matz's next start is scheduled for Sunday against the Detroit Tigers. The 31-year-old southpaw has really struggled with a 6.39 ERA (5.34 FIP), 1.71 WHIP, 15 walks and 31 strikeouts in 31 innings over his six starts. If Matz is removed from the rotation, Matthew Liberatore would likely take over.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Steven Matz (knee) is set to make another rehab start with Double-A Springfield on Saturday. The 31-year-old lefty made a rehab start earlier this week, pitching 1 1/3 scoreless innings. If he continues with his progression, he could return to the Cardinals in the next few weeks or so. Matz has been out since July 24 with an MCL tear in his left knee. He put together a 5.70 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 51:9 K/BB ratio over 10 starts (42 2/3 innings) before going down.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Steven Matz (knee) has a chance of returning to the mound this season. Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol is optimistic that Matz will return after tearing his MCL earlier this season. It sounds like the southpaw is making solid progress since his injury back on July 24. He was pitching fairly well before the injury, so his return would be nice for the Cardinals rotation. However, Matz isn't close to getting back on the mound, so his return probably wouldn't be until mid-September.

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Steven Matz (knee) is unlikely to return this season even if he avoids surgery. The 31-year-old has a torn MCL in his left knee, and the Cardinals should know more next Tuesday if the right-hander will return in 2022. St. Louis will be in the market to add another arm by the MLB trade deadline. "There might be some opportunities out there that might not be top of the rotation but can fill innings," said Cardinals baseball operations president John Mozeliak. Frankie Montas, Tyler Mahle, Jose Urquidy, Merrill Kelly, and Nathan Eovaldi are some of the pitchers reportedly on the trade block. Stay tuned.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Steven Matz (knee) has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a left knee sprain. The 31-year-old suffered the injury while covering first base during his start against the Reds. It was Matz's first start after missing two months with shoulder inflammation. He's put together a subpar season up to this point with a 5.70 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 51:9 K:BB ratio over 42 2/3 innings (10 starts). He should make his return to the Cards' starting rotation in early August.

St. Louis Cardinals left-hander Steven Matz (shoulder) will be activated from the injured list on Sunday. He will be the team's starting pitcher for Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Reds. The 31-year-old has been out since late May due to a left shoulder impingement. He's struggled so far in his first season with the Cardinals. Over nine starts, he's gone 3-3 with a 6.03 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP. However, he pitched well during his rehab stint at Triple-A, allowing just nine hits, three walks and three earned runs over 12.2 innings while recording 17 strikeouts.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Steven Matz (shoulder) is expected to make one more rehab start before returning to the major league rotation. If that happens, Matz would make a start before the all-star break. The 31-year-old lefty has been out since late May with a left shoulder impingement. After a solid 2021 season, Matz has fallen on hard times with the Cardinals this year. He has a 3-3 record with a 6.03 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, and 44 strikeouts over 37 IP. While he is likely to improve on his disastrous numbers, he doesn't need to be rostered in most leagues. He should still remain a decent streamer when he faces weak competition.

St. Louis Cardinals left-hander Steven Matz (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Memphis on Tuesday. The expectation is that he will pitch two innings in Tuesday's rehab outing. Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol stated that once Matz is ready to return to the Cardinals, he'll have a decision to make in regards to the team's starting rotation. He'll either bring Matz back as a starter or keep Andre Pallante in the rotation. Matz has been out for about a month due to a left shoulder impingement. He was struggling immensely before the injury, pitching to a 6.03 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP over nine starts. Pallante, meanwhile, has posted a 2.57 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP over four starts since joining the rotation in early June.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Steven Matz (shoulder) played long toss on Saturday. Beat writer Katie Woo noted that the 31-year-old left-hander is progressing much slower than the team had planned. Matz is dealing with a left shoulder impingement and was placed on the 15-day injured list back on May 23. He struggled with a 3-3 record, 6.03 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, and 44:8 K/BB ratio over 37 1/3 innings (nine starts) prior to the injury. He most likely won't return to the Cardinals' starting rotation until late July at this point.

The St. Louis Cardinals placed outfielder Dylan Carlson (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain and starting pitcher Steven Matz (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list on Monday with a left shoulder impingement. Left-hander Matthew Liberatore, right-hander Junior Fernandez and outfielder Lars Nootbaar have been recalled from Triple-A Memphis, while reliever Angel Rondon was optioned to Memphis. With Carlson out, Nootbaar, Corey Dickerson, Juan Yepez and Brendan Donovan will fight for more playing time in a corner outfield spot. It's terrible timing for Carlson, as the 23-year-old was hitting over .300 in May after a slow start to his season. Liberatore will rejoin the starting rotation with Matz out after making his MLB debut over the weekend.

Updating a previous report, St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Steven Matz (shoulder) left his start after just four pitches on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates due to left shoulder stiffness. It was previously reported that Matz was dealing with an apparent hip injury. Right-hander Angel Rondon, who had been called up from the minors before Sunday's game, will try to eat up some innings to save the Cardinals bullpen in the series finale against Pittsburgh. If Matz's shoulder injury lands him on the injured list, Matthew Liberatore, who made his MLB debut on Saturday, could be called back up to rejoin the Cardinals rotation. Matz entered his outing on Sunday with a 6.03 ERA, a 1.39 WHIP, a career-high 26.8% strikeout rate and a career-low 4.9% walk rate in eight starts.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Steven Matz (hip) left his start after facing just one batter (four pitches) on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates with an apparent hip injury. The Cardinals have been forced to turn to right-hander Angel Rondon, who was just called up from the minors before Sunday's game as a long-relief option out of the bullpen. Matz entered the game with a rough 6.03 ERA and 1.39 WHIP while walking eight and striking out 44 in 37 1/3 innings over eight starts, but a 4.25 FIP suggests his bloated ERA was a product of some bad luck early on. We'll have an update on the left-hander's injury when we know more. Prospect Matthew Liberatore, who made his MLB debut on Saturday, could be called back up to take Matz's rotation spot if his injury is serious enough to land him on the injured list.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Jordan Hicks has been scratched from his scheduled start on Thursday against the Baltimore Orioles for undisclosed reasons, and left-hander Steven Matz is now listed as the starter. We'll update you as soon as we know the reason as to why Hicks was scratched from his start, so stay tuned. If the 25-year-old is able to return at some point this weekend, he'd be facing the San Francisco Giants. Matz has a rough 7.01 ERA and 1.64 WHIP through his first six starts for St. Louis, but his 3.86 FIP suggests he's seen some bad luck in the early going. The crafty lefty will have a perfect get-right spot on Thursday against the Orioles as the fill-in for Hicks.

The St. Louis Cardinals placed starting pitcher Steven Matz on the bereavement list on Tuesday and recalled left-hander Packy Naughton from Triple-A Memphis in a corresponding move. Matz won his third game of the season on Monday when he held the Kansas City Royals scoreless over six innings of work, walking none and striking out four. The 30-year-old has allowed 12 earned runs on 29 hits while walking only five and striking out 27 in 23 2/3 innings over his first five starts for the Cardinals this year. He'll miss anywhere from three to seven days while on the bereavement list, so it remains to be seen if he'll make his next scheduled start this Saturday against the San Francisco Giants on the road.