The St. Louis Cardinals have had a tough year. Despite being just four games out of a postseason spot, they seem to be fading after the front office traded away Phil Maton, Steven Matz, and Ryan Helsley at the trade deadline. While those moves may pay off in the long run, it gives the impression that the Cardinals have given up on their playoff chances this season.
Right now, the focus is on the younger players who are showing promise for the future. One of the key pieces for next season is pitcher Matthew Liberatore, who showed ace potential early in the year.
Liberatore is making the transition from the bullpen to the starting rotation this season. While he’s started games before, he had never exceeded 11 starts in a season—this year, he’s already made 22 starts, with a few more likely to come. However, that increased workload might be starting to take its toll on him.
Matthew Liberatore continues to struggle as Rockies blank Cardinals
Manager Oli Marmol recently addressed Liberatore’s command and velocity, both aspects of his game that have gotten worse over time.
“We’re going to continue to closely monitor it,” Marmol said of Liberatore’s velocity and command Tuesday afternoon, per Katie Woo of The Athletic. “If it doesn’t make sense to continue to have him go because there’s a regression in his overall stuff, velocity, being able to hold it, then we’ll make a decision on it.
“He’s recovering well in between starts. He’s healthy and feeling strong. But it’s a matter of being able to maintain it during his start. If anything points to that not being the case, then we’ll make a decision.”
The lefty tallied four innings against the Colorado Rockies, surrendering three earned runs and dropping the game 3-0. These four innings brought his total to 117 innings on the season. His previous high was 86 innings last year.
At this point, the workload is likely too much for him to handle. Transitioning from the bullpen to the starting rotation is difficult because of the added stress on the body and arm. Liberatore has a 4.38 ERA in August and held a 6.57 ERA in July. He’s trending in the wrong direction.
At this point, there’s a chance the Cardinals shut him down and elevate one of their young prospects to take his place. Liberatore isn’t bad. He just seems to be a bit tired and overworked for the year.
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