Cardinals Starting Pitcher Could Be Moved To Bullpen With Season Waning

St. Louis might have another plan for the hurler

Apr 4, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A general view during the national anthem before the St. Louis Cardinals home opener against the Miami Marlins at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals are searching for answers as their season continues to crumble and they fall further behind in the National League Wild Card race standings.

Cardinals manager Oli Marmol has scrambled around the lineup and utilized platoon players such as Jordan Walker, Lars Nootbaar and Tommy Pham to no avail. Even the newly acquired starter Erick Fedde has struggled since being dealt to St. Louis at the trade deadline.

A massive turnaround is going to take more than just a few minor adjustments but hopefully, the return of a southpaw will give the Cardinals a much-needed boost.

"Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol reaffirmed on Aug. 18 that Matz was scheduled to make one more Minor League rehab start before St. Louis has to decide the left-hander’s future with the club," MLB.com reported Sunday. "Matz could return to the Cardinals as a starter or a reliever, depending on what the big league team needs when he is ready to return, Marmol said."

Matz hasn't pitched for St. Louis since April 30 due to a herniated disc in his lower back that has been slow to heal. He tried to return on two separate occasions but continued discomfort from his injury prevented that.

The 33-year-old isn't necessarily needed in the Cardinals rotation, with right-handed pitcher Andre Pallante performing well as the club's presumed No. 5 starter.

Considering there's a good chance Matz is traded this upcoming offseason, it might be worth it for Marmol to place him in the bullpen to see what he can produce. Converting the left-handed pitcher to a reliever could be more beneficial to the club than bringing him back as a starter at this point in the season.

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