LATEST NEWS

May 31: LF Brendan Donovan scratched with neck stiffness
Donovan, one of the Cardinals' most durable and versatile players all season, was scratched from Friday’s lineup because of neck stiffness. The club said that Donovan’s status is considered to be day to day. Donovan, who started the final two games of the previous series against the Reds and had five hits and two doubles, was lost on the same day that fellow outfielder Lars Nootbaar (oblique strain) went on the 10-day injured list. Without Masyn Winn (scheduled off day), the Cardinals moved veteran slugger Matt Carpenter into Friday night’s leadoff slot. Dylan Carlson was inserted into right field, while Alec Burleson shifted from right field to left field. In 52 games this season, Donovan is hitting .245 with four home runs, 14 doubles and a triple with 25 RBIs.

May 31: Lars Nootbaar (left oblique strain) placed on the 10-day injured list; 2B/3B José Fermín recalled from Triple-A Memphis
As expected, Nootbaar was placed on the 10-day IL after straining an oblique muscle in his left side while checking a swing in the seventh inning of Wednesday’s win over the Reds. Nootbaar singled later in his at-bat, and he stayed in the game defensively for a half-inning before exiting. The move to the IL is retroactive to May 30, meaning Nootbaar will be eligible to return by June 9.

Nootbaar, who is hitting .234 with five home runs and 19 RBIs, has been bedeviled by injuries over the last two seasons, spending time on the IL five times. He missed most of Spring Training and the first 13 games of this season after fracturing two ribs on his left side following a collision with the wall while tracking a fly ball. During the 2023 season, he spent time on the IL with a lower abdominal contusion (12 days), a lower back contusion (17 days) and a thumb strain (15 days).

This is Fermín’s second stint with the Cardinals this season. He was 3-for-15 with two walks and a stolen base in nine games earlier this season. At Triple-A, Fermín has hit .346 with an eye-popping .461 on-base percentage. He has hit six home runs with 20 RBIs and 10 stolen bases while walking 19 times and striking out just five times.

May 26: RHP Andre Pallante recalled from Triple-A Memphis; RHP Nick Robertson (right elbow inflammation) placed on 15-day injured list
Pallante, who struggled out of the bullpen earlier this season, has been stretching out as a starter in Memphis. He was 0-1 with a 6.30 ERA with St. Louis before being sent to Triple-A.

“It's a lot better for your development to be able to get a bullpen in once a week to work on the stuff in between outings,” Pallante said. “Definitely the length of pitches and amount of pitches I threw kind of helped me find my off-speed and my other fastball.”

Manager Oliver Marmol said Pallante would be used out of the bullpen for now and is available as an innings option. Pallante could also be an option to start Wednesday at Cincinnati as the club works to cover the injured Steven Matz’s rotation spot.

Robertson, whose placement on the IL is retroactive to May 23, said he felt tightness a couple days ago playing catch before a game. He doesn’t expect an extended stay on the IL.

“Everything looks good and nothing to be concerned about,” Robertson said.

• All Cardinals transactions

10-DAY/15-DAY INJURED LIST

OF Lars Nootbaar (oblique strain)
Expected return: Mid-June
Nootbaar was placed on the 10-day IL, retroactive to May 30, on May 31 after straining his left oblique while checking a swing in the seventh inning of a win over the Reds. Nootbaar, who missed most of Spring Training and the first 13 games of this season with two fractured ribs, has now been on the IL five times in the past two seasons. He is hitting .234 with five home runs and 19 RBIs. (Last updated: May 31)

RHP Keynan Middleton (right forearm flexor strain)
Expected return: TBD
Middleton was scheduled to undergo another MRI on the flexor tendon in his right forearm and consult further with doctors after experiencing more pain and stiffness. Manager Oliver Marmol called the most recent bout of soreness “a setback” for Middleton. After spending several weeks rehabilitating and strengthening his forearm, Middleton recently made five appearances and compiled a 2.25 ERA for Double-A Springfield. However, pain returned in his forearm last week following relief appearances on May 22-23. (Last updated: May 28)

RHP Nick Robertson (right elbow inflammation)
Expected return: Mid-to-late June
Robertson said he felt tightness while playing catch before a game during the week of May 20, but he doesn’t expect a prolonged stay on the IL. Robertson, who was acquired in a trade with Boston on December 8, is 0-0 with a 4.38 ERA in eight appearances this season. The move to the IL is retroactive to May 23. (Last updated: May 26)

RHP Giovanny Gallegos (right shoulder impingement)
Expected return: Late May at the earliest
Gallegos was scheduled to throw a live bullpen session on May 25 as his rehab progresses. The right-hander, who has been losing velocity since 2022 and has been hit hard this season, was placed on the 15-day IL with a right shoulder impingement on May 6. Coming into this season, Gallegos had been one of baseball’s most durable pitchers, leading the National League in appearances (268) and innings pitched as a reliever (283 1/3) since 2019. But this season, he’s allowed 12 earned runs in nine innings pitched. He did not retire a batter in either of his last two outings, and the average velocity on his fastball has dropped from 94.3 mph to 92.1 mph from 2022 to 2024. The hard-hit percentage on that pitch has climbed from 46.5 percent to 81.8 percent. (Last updated: May 24)

C Willson Contreras (left forearm fracture)
Expected return: Mid-July
Contreras, who had surgery last week to repair a fracture in the ulna bone of his left forearm, arrived in the clubhouse on May 17 wearing only a small plastic cover over the incision area. Contreras said the protective cast over his left forearm was removed just a few days after surgery, and he noted that he is hopeful of returning before the break for the All-Star Game in mid-July. The catcher, whose forearm was injured when it was hit by the bat of Mets slugger J.D. Martinez on May 7, said he has already resumed conditioning drills and he is hopeful that doctors will soon allow him to swing at pitches using only his right arm and hand. For now, Contreras said his only mission is to show support and be of assistance to Cardinals rookie catchers Iván Herrera and Pedro Pagés. (Last updated: May 17)

LHP Steven Matz (lower back strain)
Expected return: Early June
Out since May 3 with a lower back strain, Matz felt lingering pain after a mound session at Busch Stadium on May 10 and was shut down so that he could receive a second pain-killing injection, manager Oliver Marmol said. Matz received his injection on May 13 and would be “no-throw” for another week, Marmol said, meaning the left-hander's return to the rotation will most likely be pushed back to June at the earliest.

Matz last pitched on April 30 while battling back stiffness and pain, and surrendered four earned runs over 3 1/3 innings. (Last updated: May 13)

60-DAY INJURED LIST

CF Tommy Edman (right wrist surgery)
Expected return: Late May
The switch-hitting Edman, who has yet to fully go through baseball activities after undergoing wrist surgery in October, has progressed to short-hand flips, according to Marmol. Because of previous pain and swelling, Edman had been limited to swinging from the left side. He was transferred to the 60-day injured list on May 6.

Edman, who signed a two-year, $16 million contract extension in January to avoid salary arbitration proceedings, was shut down four times in Spring Training because of lingering pain and swelling in his wrist. Edman said he got second and third opinions from independent doctors during Spring Training, and he was assured that the wrist is structurally sound.

"This time around," manager Oliver Marmol said April 29, "he's been good and recovering really well." (Last updated: May 13)

RHP Riley O'Brien (flexor tendon strain)
Expected return: May
O’Brien, who was one of the Cardinals’ top pitchers all throughout Spring Training, was moved to the 60-day injured list on May 10 to make room on the 40-man roster for Kolton Ingram, who had been designated for assignment by the Rangers. O’Brien struck out Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani on Opening Day in an inning in which he allowed one run, but he felt tightness in his forearm the next day. He started playing long toss in early May to build back arm strength after being shut down for several weeks. O’Brien was aiming to throw off a mound for the first time since late March during the week of May 13. (Last updated: May 10)

LHP Drew Rom (left shoulder surgery)
Expected return: September
Rom, who was acquired last July in a trade with the Orioles, underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder that might allow him to return later this season, manager Oliver Marmol said. Marmol dubbed the procedure as “a best-case scenario,” and is hopeful Rom can return in the fall.

Rom, 24, made three starts in Spring Training before being put on the injured list with shoulder trouble. He was later moved to the 60-day IL.

After being acquired in the trade centered around Jack Flaherty, Rom made his MLB debut in 2023 with the Cardinals. In eight starts, Rom was 1-4 with an 8.06 ERA. His first MLB win was over the Orioles in Baltimore. (Last updated: May 9)

• More injury news