Liberatore (3-6) allowed two runs on two hits and struck out one over two-thirds of an inning to take the loss Friday versus the Padres.
The young lefty surrendered a two-run home run to Manny Machado in the eighth inning, ending Liberatore's eight-inning scoreless streak. He has a 5.52 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 44:24 K:BB through 58.2 innings across 19 outings (11 starts) this season.
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Cardinals' Matthew Liberatore: Awarded win Friday
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Liberatore (3-5) walked one and struck out three over 1.1 scoreless and hitless innings to earn the win Friday over the Reds.
Liberatore was deemed the most effective reliever and awarded the win after starter Drew Rom went just 3.2 innings. This was Liberatore's second outing since returning from a back injury, and he's struck out four without giving up a hit over 2.2 innings. The southpaw is expected to fill a multi-inning role out of the bullpen for the rest of the year. He has a 5.81 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and 39:22 K:BB through 52.2 innings over 14 appearances (11 starts) this season.
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Cardinals' Matthew Liberatore: Set for bullpen role
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Liberatore (back) will pitch out of the bullpen for the Cardinals after he was reinstated from the 15-day injured list Monday, Jim Hayes of Bally Sports Midwest reports.
Liberatore will be available in relief beginning with Wednesday's game at Atlanta. The 23-year-old left-hander has struggled to a 6.12 ERA, 1.64 WHIP and 35:21 K:BB in 50 innings (11 starts, one relief appearance) this season at the major-league level and surrendered seven runs (six earned) on seven hits and 10 walks over 6.2 innings between his most recent two rehab starts at Triple-A Memphis. With Liberatore moving to the bullpen, Drew Rom will retain a spot in the St. Louis rotation as the team's fifth starter.
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Cardinals' Matthew Liberatore: Returns from IL
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Liberatore (back) was activated from the 15-day injured list Monday.
Liberatore didn't pitch well in two rehab starts with Triple-A Memphis, allowing six runs while walking 10 over 6.2 innings. He brought his pitch count up to 83 in his last outing Sunday, and the Cardinals have decided he's ready to join the big club, despite his poor results in the minors. St. Louis presumably wants to stick Liberatore back in its rotation, though it's unclear when he might make his next start.
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Cardinals' Matthew Liberatore: Getting another rehab start
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Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Friday that Liberatore is scheduled to make at least one more rehab start at Triple-A Memphis prior to being activated from the 15-day injured list, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Though Liberatore tossed 78 pitches in his first rehab start with Memphis on Tuesday, he wasn't particularly sharp. He spotted only 45 of his pitches for strikes, recording five punchouts while allowing five runs on four hits and five walks over 3.2 innings. Liberatore will presumably make his next turn for Memphis on Sunday, and if he shows more efficiency in that outing, he could return from the IL for the Cardinals' series next weekend in Cincinnati.
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Cardinals' Matthew Liberatore: Tosses 78 pitches in rehab start
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Liberatore (back) covered 3.2 innings and gave up five earned runs on four hits and five walks while striking out five in his rehab start Tuesday with Triple-A Memphis.
Though he didn't escape the fourth inning Tuesday, Liberatore still tossed 78 pitches (45 strikes) while taking the hill for the first time since landing on the 15-day injured list Aug. 22 with lower-back tightness. From a workload standpoint, Liberatore appears ready to re-enter the big-league rotation, but the Cardinals may want to see a more efficient outing in the minors from the young lefty before activating him.
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Cardinals' Matthew Liberatore: Ready for rehab assignment
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Liberatore (back) will begin a rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Memphis, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Liberatore landed on the injured list last Tuesday, and he will get back up on the bump one week later. He has not appeared in a game since Aug. 16, so he could be back with the big club at some point in early September.
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Cardinals' Matthew Liberatore: Next start moved to Wednesday
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Liberatore will make his next start Wednesday in Pittsburgh while he gets extra time to heal up from back pain, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Liberatore had been lined up to take the hill for Monday's series opener at PNC Park, but the Cardinals will instead call up Drew Rom from Triple-A Memphis to start that day to afford the lefty some extra time to rest up and recover. According to Denton, Liberatore's back issue stems from a weightlifting session rather than from his most recent start last Wednesday, when he gave up six runs (five earned) over 4.1 innings in a loss to Oakland. Before falling flat against the last-place Athletics, Liberatore turned in the best start of his career Aug. 10, blanking the Rays over eight innings while striking out seven.
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Cardinals' Matthew Liberatore: Ambushed by A's
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Liberatore (2-5) took the loss Wednesday, surrendering six runs (five earned) on 10 hits and three walks over 4.1 innings as the Cardinals fell 8-0 to the A's. He struck out five.
The rookie southpaw got little help from his teammates, but Liberatore did himself no favors as he got only 55 of 92 pitches into the strike zone, and his lack of command or control led to a four-run first inning for Oakland. He's had one good start and two poor ones since rejoining the big-league rotation after the trade deadline, and he's likely to remain a volatile fantasy option the rest of the season. Liberatore will carry a 6.12 ERA, 1.64 WHIP and 35:21 K:BB through 50 innings into his next outing, which is likely to come early next week in Pittsburgh.
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Cardinals' Matthew Liberatore: Possible waiver wire pickups
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It's easy to dismiss Liberatore's two-hit gem at the Rays on Thursday given how uninspiring his major-league career has been up to this point, but notably, it was fueled by an increase in velocity of 1-1.5 mph across the board. And the Cardinals are giving the impression it's something he can sustain, brought about by a mechanical adjustment that finally clicked after weeks of lower body work. The key, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, is the way he pushes off the pitching rubber. "It's a little bit of tempo," said Liberatore. "It's a little bit of confidence and trust. It's a little bit of the core and glutes being strong enough to dominate the move rather than the quads and lower back. And I felt like I was a lot more centered." Maybe it turns out to be a one-hit wonder, but for a 23-year-old with a prospect pedigree, it's reason to take a flier.
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Cardinals' Matthew Liberatore: Sparkles against Rays
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Liberatore (2-4) earned the win over Tampa Bay on Thursday, pitching eight scoreless innings during which he allowed two hits and struck out seven batters.
Liberatore had a 6.93 ERA coming into the contest, but he stifled the Rays' offense in the best start of his big-league career. The southpaw completed eight innings for the first time as a major-leaguer and allowed just two hits, both of which were singles. Liberatore has struggled thus far to get batters out at the highest level, so it remains to be seen if Thursday's gem will be a turning point. He's lined up for a prime matchup at home against Oakland in his next start.
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Cardinals' Matthew Liberatore: Back in St. Louis
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The Cardinals recalled Liberatore from Triple-A Memphis on Friday.
Liberatore holds a 6.75 ERA and 1.84 WHIP through 32 innings in the majors this season, and his stats for Memphis since being optioned July 6 haven't been much better. It's unclear whether Liberatore will work out of the bullpen or join the Cardinals' rotation, but the team seems poised to move veterans like Jordan Montgomery and Jack Flaherty by the trade deadline, so there could be a starting role available for the 23-year-old lefty. Andrew Suarez was optioned to Memphis in a corresponding move.
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Cardinals' Matthew Liberatore: Gets lit up in first inning
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Liberatore didn't factor into the decision in Wednesday's 10-9 loss to the Marlins after allowing four runs on five hits and one walk while recording just one out.
Liberatore was shelled by the Marlins right from the opening pitch, surrendering four consecutive hits and a walk to kick off the bottom of the first inning before finally getting Jean Segura to fly out to left for the first out. The lefty then gave up another single to Dane Myers to make it a four-run inning for the Marlins before he was pulled in favor of Dakota Hudson. The 21-pitch outing was a disastrous one for Liberatore, who had been starting on three days' rest after previously covering 4.1 innings in a doubleheader last Saturday versus the Yankees. Considering that the Cardinals have an opening in the rotation this Sunday versus the White Sox following Adam Wainwright's (shoulder) recent move to the injured list, Liberatore could be a candidate to start again on three days' rest in St. Louis' final game before the All-Star break.
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Cardinals' Matthew Liberatore: Loses in nightcap
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Liberatore (1-3) allowed three runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out just one over 4.1 innings, taking the loss in Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader versus the Yankees.
Liberatore has failed to complete five innings in four of his last five outings, and he's given up 12 runs (eight earned) across 10.2 innings in his last three starts. The southpaw was pushed back a day after Friday's rainout, but the extra rest didn't do him much good. With a 5.68 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and 22:15 K:BB over 31.2 innings through eight appearances this year, it's fair to question how much more leeway Liberatore has when it comes to staying in the Cardinals' rotation. He could ultimately swap spots with Steven Matz, who is currently in the bullpen, or the Cardinals may opt to bring up a starter from Triple-A Memphis, though no one on the farm is doing much to differentiate themselves. St. Louis will need a spot starter Wednesday due to this doubleheader, and it's possible Liberatore may not start again until after the All-Star break.
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Cardinals' Matthew Liberatore: Friday's start postponed
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Liberatore's scheduled start against the Yankees has been postponed due to inclement weather, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
The young lefty was scheduled to square off against Luis Severino, but the game will instead be made up as part of a doubleheader Saturday. It's likely Liberatore will start one of the two games of that twin bill.
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Cardinals' Matthew Liberatore: Pulled in third inning
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Liberatore did not factor into the decision Sunday, allowing four unearned runs on four hits and two walks over 2.1 innings against the Cubs. He struck out three.
Liberatore was tagged for four runs in the first, but none of them were earned due to two errors from the Cardinals defense. The left-hander was pulled in the third inning at 56 pitches (33 strikes) in favor of Jake Woodford, who earned the win. Liberatore has started six of his seven MLB appearances this season, but Sunday's outing was by far his shortest as a starter, as he completed at least four innings in each of his other starts. The 23-year-old's spot in the rotation remains secure moving forward, especially if Jack Flaherty (hip) has to miss extended time, but Liberatore figures to have a short leash during his outings, with Woodford and Steven Matz available as long-relief options out of the bullpen.
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Cardinals' Matthew Liberatore: Allows season-high five earned runs
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Liberatore did not factor into the decision Sunday, allowing five runs on four hits and two walks over four innings against the Mets. He struck out two.
Liberatore allowed a season-high five earned runs, but he escaped with a no-decision thanks to the Cardinals' offensive explosion. It was a disappointing outing for the left-hander, who was coming off his first quality start of the year, and his ERA has ballooned to 6.12 through six appearances (five starts). The 23-year-old won the fifth-starter gig to start June while Steven Matz shifted to the bullpen, but Liberatore's spot in the rotation isn't guaranteed, especially if he continues to struggle.
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Cardinals' Matthew Liberatore: Yields two runs in no-decision
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Liberatore allowed two runs on seven hits and two walks over six innings in Monday's 4-3 loss to the Giants. He struck out five and didn't factor in the decision.
Liberatore coughed up both runs in the third inning but otherwise was able to navigate through the Giants' lineup. After allowing eight earned runs in his last two starts, Monday's outing was his first quality start at the MLB level this season. He dropped his ERA to 5.14 alongside a 16:10 K:BB through 21 innings. Liberatore is lined up to face the Mets on the road this weekend.
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Cardinals' Matthew Liberatore: Role not yet determined
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The Cardinals will no longer use a six-man rotation, with the fifth spot coming down to Liberatore or Steven Matz, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
The Cards shifted to a six-man rotation during a stretch of 19 games in 19 days, but they have back-to-back off days this week which will allow them to restructure the rotation again. Matz will be available in relief Monday and Tuesday, with Liberatore's potential availability out of the bullpen yet to be determined. Things certainly appear to be pointing toward Matz being moved to the bullpen for a while and Liberatore getting the fifth spot, but the team has not yet committed to that setup.
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Cardinals' Matthew Liberatore: Tagged for four runs
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Liberatore (1-1) allowed four runs on five hits and two walks while striking out two across five innings Friday in a 4-3 loss to the Guardians.
Liberatore faced little trouble through four scoreless innings before the Guardians broke through with a four-run fifth. His ERA jumped to 4.91 through three big-league appearances (two starts) this season. As of now, it's unclear if Liberatore will get another start or move into the bullpen. The Cardinals have just five games during the upcoming week, and the young southpaw would seem to be the most likely candidate in the rotation to miss a start. He posted an 11.0 K/9 with Triple-A Memphis but has struck out just nine batters in 11 MLB innings since his promotion.
