The Cardinals have a day to breathe after ending a four-game skid against the Miami Marlins, but the break doesn’t last long. Up next is a three-game set with the National League East-leading Atlanta Braves, and that’s only the beginning of a brutal stretch that could tell the story of St. Louis’ season.
After Atlanta, the Cardinals go straight into three games with the Chicago Cubs, five with the Milwaukee Brewers, and then another three against the Braves. That’s a tough run for any team. For a young Cardinals club sitting at 43-38 exactly halfway through the 2026 season, it’s the kind of stretch that will answer a big question: are they a real playoff team, or are they about to drift back to the pack?
If St. Louis is going to hold up through that gantlet, the rotation needs attention now.
The staff’s 4.19 ERA ranks 13th in baseball, but that number doesn’t really capture the whole picture. There’s enough solid work in the group to believe this unit can be better, and the weakest link is clear.
Michael McGreevy has posted a 3.12 ERA, Andre Pallante sits at 3.83, Kyle Leahy is at 4.09, and Dustin May owns a 4.30 mark that is inflated by a six-run outing on June 21 against the Kansas City Royals. That’s four arms that have, by and large, given St. Louis a chance.
Matthew Liberatore has not. The Opening Day starter has struggled badly, carrying a 5.56 ERA across 16 starts.
Since April 25, that number jumps to 6.57 over 11 starts. At that point, the sample is big enough to justify a change, whether that means Triple-A or a move to the bullpen.
The Cardinals have already shown they’re willing to make hard calls this season, sending down Nolan Gorman and Victor Scott II. Liberatore could be the next one.
And if St. Louis wants a better shot at surviving this next two weeks without adding outside help, there are three internal options.
Hunter Dobbins is the simplest choice. He has a 3.63 ERA in four major league appearances, including two starts, and could slide into the rotation in a steady role.
Brycen Mautz is another possibility. He has been effective at Triple-A, where he owns a 2.83 ERA in 14 starts.
Then there’s Quinn Mathews, the No. 6 overall prospect, who has yet to debut in the majors but is getting close. He’s posted a 3.95 ERA in 15 Triple-A starts and has been hot lately.
Any of those three would give the Cardinals a better chance during this stretch without making a trade. Dobbins looks like the most straightforward answer. Mathews is the most intriguing.
In Other News...
John Mozeliak's Surprise Return Just Raised A Bigger Question
John Mozeliaks surprise reappearance in a front-office chair is one of the more unexpected moves of the summer, and it comes at a time when the Angels are already trying to reset their direction. After parting ways with Perry Minasian, Los Angeles turned to the longtime Cardinals executive as its interim general manager for the rest of the 2026 season, and Mozeliak used his first press conference to address how the hiring came together and what his job will look like in the weeks ahead.
The part that still hangs in the air is what kind of stewardship this really is. Mozeliak spent most of his Cardinals run in the middle of competitive seasons, not deep rebuilds, so his presence alone invites a bigger question about whether the Angels are thinking short-term, long-term, or somewhere in between. He also left open the possibility of remaining with the organization beyond this year in some advisory or front-office capacity, which only adds to the sense that this temporary arrangement could end up telling us more than just who handles the trade deadline. [Read more 🡒]
Victor Scott II Suddenly Faces A Huge Cardinals Crossroads
Victor Scott II is back in Memphis, but his return to St. Louis is still part of a much bigger roster reset. The Cardinals sent four major league players down in June to sort out performance and playing time, and Scott joined Yohel Pozo, Thomas Saggese and Nolan Gorman in trying to turn the move into a reset rather than a setback. For Scott, that means sharpening the parts of his game that can get him back in the conversation, even if the path to another call-up remains anything but straightforward.
Nolan Gorman has already added another layer to the picture by working through hitting drills, a Florida stop and then live games again in Memphis, while Saggese is trying to remake his approach at the plate even without consistent results yet. None of that makes Scott's road any easier, though it does show how crowded the competition has become for a roster spot. The Cardinals need answers, and each of these four players is now fighting to make sure their next move is back to the majors, not deeper into uncertainty. [Read more 🡒]
Sonny Gray Is Becoming A Painful Reminder For Cardinals Fans
Sonny Grays move to Boston was supposed to be one of those offseason transactions that quietly reshaped a roster on both sides. Instead, it has become an uncomfortable talking point for Cardinals fans watching a familiar arm settle in quickly with the Red Sox, where Gray has looked sharp enough to make the deal feel more lopsided by the week. St. Louis, meanwhile, got Brandon Clarke and Richard Fitts back in the trade, but both pitchers have spent time dealing with injuries this season.
Grays latest reminder came in a strong outing against the Yankees, when he piled up strikeouts and worked deep into the game without giving up a run. For the Cardinals, the frustration is not just that Gray is succeeding somewhere else, but that the return they banked on has been slowed by health issues before it could really get off the ground. It leaves St. Louis with an all-too-familiar question hanging over an offseason move that looked straightforward at the time. [Read more 🡒]