Beloved Cardinals Champion May Have Pitched Last Game With St. Louis

The Cardinals fan-favorite may have pitched his last game in St. Louis

Sep 17, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Lance Lynn (31) reacts after inning ending double play against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fifth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals looked to bolster the starting rotation heading into the 2024 Major League Baseball regular season.

St. Louis had a disastrous 2023 season, and the starting rotation arguably was the biggest reason why. The Cardinals were aggressive in free agency and acted fast. St. Louis wanted to improve the rotation and did so by signing Sonny Gray, Kyle Gibson, and Lance Lynn.

The Cardinals focused on veteran pitchers who could eat up innings because that was an issue the team had last season. A reunion with Lynn made plenty of sense because of that fact. The two-time All-Star was selected in the first round of the 2008 Major League Baseball June Amateur Draft. He eventually made his big league debut in 2021.

Lynn spent the first six seasons of his career with St. Louis, helped lead the team to the World Series in 2011, and also earned an All-Star nod. The veteran righty has bounced around since leaving St. Louis and has spent time with the Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, and Los Angeles Dodgers.

He re-signed with the Cardinals ahead of the 2024 season and has been everything the team possibly could've hoped for. Lynn has made 23 starts and has a 3.84 ERA across 117 1/3 innings pitched.

Lynn has shined this season, but his start on Tuesday night could be his last of the season and also last as a member of the Cardinals, according to MLB.com's John Denton.

"Cardinals (right-handed pitcher) Lance Lynn, 37, has pitched in pain most of this season, and Tuesday’s gem might have been his last outing of 2024," Denton said. “If it’s my last start as a Cardinal, I’d like it to be in St. Louis,” Lynn said.

If Tuesday's start was his last with St. Louis, it certainly was a good run.

More MLB: Cardinals Are Option For Star Pitcher 'Likely' To Be Free Agent