Cardinals Demote Hunter Dobbins One Day After 5-Walk Debut

The St. Louis Cardinals got a brief look at starter Hunter Dobbins on Thursday but already have sent him back down to the minors.

Dobbins was activated off the Injured List and promoted to the big leagues on Thursday to take the hill and face off against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 26-year-old made his team debut and showed some flashes, but his command wasn't good.

When Dobbins is at his best, he has a big fastball and generates a lot of ground balls. He did both of those things yesterday across 4 1/3 innings of work. But he walked five and allowed three earned runs. The runs weren't even in the biggest issue for Dobbins. The walks were. He only allowed two base hits. But the command wasn't there and on Friday, the club reportedly optioned him down to Triple-A Memphis, as shared on X by Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat.

"The Cardinals optioned Hunter Dobbins to Memphis following yesterday's start. Corresponding move TBA," Jones wrote. "Matt Pushard pitched last night for a second consecutive day, so presumably he won't be activated to fill the spot. Chris Roycroft last threw 18 pitches on Wednesday. ...

The Cardinals Are Sending Down Hunter Dobbins

Apr 28, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Hunter Dobbins (40) throws in the outfield before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

"The only other viable 40-man option for recall at the moment is Luis Peralta, who has not pitched for Memphis since being claimed on waivers earlier this week. He has 14 strikeouts and 13 walks in 7.1 Triple-A IP this season, so he would at least be high event."

Arguably, this should be a short stint back down in Triple-A Memphis. Dobbins' command wasn't good, but he still showed some positives. There's no denying the fact that the Cardinals need bullpen help. While the Cardinals haven't announced Dobbins' replacement yet on the big league roster, it's safe to assume it will be a reliever in some capacity. The Cardinals are in the middle of a stretch of 17 straight days with a game and won't have another day off until May 11. St. Louis desperately needs arms to fill out the bullpen and Dobbins won't be able to pitch for a few days anyway, so that's why the move currently makes sense.

But when he's eligible for a return trip to the majors, the club should seriously consider giving him a consistent shot in the majors — either as a long man out of the bullpen or in the rotation. If Dobbins is in the rotation, which he arguably should be, then Kyle Leahy could be a long man out of the bullpen. Leahy had success in the role last year and has struggled as a starter so far this season.

So, again, the move to send Dobbins down makes sense right now simply because the club needs a bullpen arm and Dobbins can't pitch for a few days anyway after starting on Thursday. But when he's eligible, he should be right back up.

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