Cardinals Are Making Big Mistake with Matthew Liberatore

The Cardinals are playing a dangerous game.

Jun 18, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore (32) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-Imagn Images | Peter Aiken-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals lost another tough game on Saturday night, falling 5-1 to the Miami Marlins. It was their fourth consecutive loss, and now they find themselves having been passed in the National League wild card race by Miami and no longer holding one of the three spots.

Their starting pitching has been a real problem this season. Dustin May, Andre Pallante and Michael McGreevy have all pitched relatively well, but left-hander Matthew Liberatore has not, having allowed six runs in his last start.

Strangely, the Cardinals have him scheduled to make his next start on Tuesday against the Atlanta Braves despite now having a 5.56 ERA.

Cardinals Playing Dangerous Game With Matthew Liberatore

Jun 13, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore (32) throws to the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Liberatore at least pitched into the sixth inning for the first time since May 31 in his last start, but the results still weren't pretty. If the Cardinals want to snap their losing streak, now might be a good time for them to make a change with the rotation.

Down in Triple-A, there are options, including Brycen Mautz, Quinn Mathews and even Hunter Dobbins, who has made two starts with the Cardinals this season. Perhaps going with one of them on Tuesday would be a better call.

The Cardinals are on a big losing streak right now, and things aren't about to get any easier. To start July, they face the Braves twice and also have to deal with the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs. So, keeping Liberatore in the rotation is dangerous, especially if the Cardinals want to snap their skid.

Granted, their depth isn't as strong as it was before the Sonny Gray trade, but it's important to remember that the Cardinals likely won't be buyers at the trade deadline. They need to make use of what depth they have.

Continuing to run Liberatore out to the mound every fifth day isn't a wise choice given how badly he has struggled, so the Cardinals are going to have to do things differently if they want to snap their skid.

There are ways they can stay true to their rebuild while also putting the best possible team out on the field to win. Right now, Liberatore is not their best option as a starter, so it's going to take a few adjustments to get this team back on track.

For now, it appears that Liberatore will make his next start, but the leash can't be much longer at this point.