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• Cardinals' Steven Matz: Shifting to bullpen

  09/06/2024 • By RotoWire

  Matz will be available out of the bullpen going forward beginning with Sunday's game against the Mariners, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports. The left-hander returned from the 60-day injured list as a starter Tuesday in Milwaukee and allowed three runs over 4.2 innings, but he'll be shifted to the bullpen with Lance Lynn (knee) on the cusp of rejoining St. Louis' rotation. Matz has a 6.12 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and 24:12 K:BB across 32.1 innings this season and is now likely to operate as a long reliever.

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• Cardinals' Steven Matz: No-decision in return

  09/04/2024 • By RotoWire

  Matz did not factor into the decision in Tuesday's 7-4 win against Milwaukee, allowing three runs on three hits and one walks over 4.2 innings. He struck out seven. In his first appearance since April 30 due to a back injury, Matz surprisingly flashed the ability to punch out hitters, posting a season-high seven strikeouts generated via a solid 14 whiffs. However, the veteran southpaw struggled to limit damage against the first-place Brewers, as all three hits he yielded went for extra bases (two home runs and one double). Prior to this outing, Matz had pitched to a 6.18 ERA, 1.73 WHIP and 24:12 K:BB across 32.1 innings this season, so this performance did represent progress despite his inability to escape the fifth inning. The 33-year-old's future in the rotation is uncertain, as Lance Lynn (back) is on a rehab assignment and could eventually take Matz's spot.

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• Cardinals' Steven Matz: Drawing start Tuesday

  09/02/2024 • By RotoWire

  Matz will start Tuesday's game in Milwaukee, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Matz was activated from the 60-day injured list Sunday and was available out of the bullpen later that day for the Cardinals' 14-7 win over the Yankees. He was not used, however, and the team has opted to give him a spot start while they push other rotation members back. Matz seems likely to shift back to a relief role after Tuesday's outing, although it's possible he earns additional starts if he pitches well.

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• Cardinals' Steven Matz: Activated, may fill bullpen role

  09/01/2024 • By RotoWire

  The Cardinals reinstated Matz (back) from the 60-day injured list Sunday. Matz will rejoin the big club for the first time since early May after he completed a lengthy recovery from a lower-back strain and the subsequent setback he experienced in June. He restarted his rehab assignment Aug. 1 and built up to five innings and 85 pitches over the course of six outings at Triple-A Memphis, but Matz doesn't appear as though he'll be reclaiming a spot in the St. Louis rotation in September. Miles Mikolas is starting Sunday's series finale against the Yankees, while John Denton of MLB.com relays that Andre Pallante, Sonny Gray and Erick Fedde are listed as the Cardinals' three starters for the team's upcoming series in Milwaukee. While St. Louis could expand its rotation to six men, Lance Lynn (back) is poised to make a rehab start Sunday and could be activated later this week to fill a potential opening. As such, Matz could be relegated to a multi-inning role out of the bullpen.

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• Cardinals' Steven Matz: Activation expected for weekend

  08/29/2024 • By RotoWire

  Matz (back) is traveling with the Cardinals and is expected to be activated from the injured list this weekend, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports. If activated as expected, it seems Matz will be added as the extra pitcher when rosters are expanded Sunday. The southpaw completed his sixth rehab start Tuesday with Triple-A Memphis during which he gave up two earned runs on five hits over three innings. It remains to be seen if he will return as a starter or long reliever.

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