Cardinals' Matthew Liberatore Problem Is Looking Worse and Worse by the Day

The St. Louis Cardinals have an issue with Matthew Liberatore on their hands right now.

This isn't a new topic for the team. He entered his start on Thursday on an ice-cold streak, hoping to get back on track. In his previous six starts, he logged a 5.65 ERA. Things did not get better on Thursday against the Kansas City Royals. In fact, he put together his worst start of the season. Liberatore only got through 1 2/3 innings against the Royals and allowed five earned runs, and seven runs total. It was a mess of a start and now Liberatore has a 5.23 ERA overall in 15 starts.

Now, he has a 6.82 ERA over his last seven starts and hasn't pitched five innings or more in three straight starts. He's pitched at least five innings in just three of his last seven starts. Clearly, something is off. Over his last seven starts, he's allowed seven homers and walked 11 batters. Those are the first two glaring problems. His command is off and when he does hit the zone, he's getting hit hard.

It's also not as if this is just bad luck. He has a 4.68 FIP over his last seven starts. That shows that there has been a bit of bad luck defensively behind him, but it doesn't eliminate hard contact. Even if his ERA was 4.68 over his last seven starts, that would be concerning.

So, what can the Cardinals do to fix the problem? Let's take a look at two solutions.

Let Matthew Liberatore Reset In Triple-A

Jun 6, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore (32) pitches against the Cincinnati Reds during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Right now, Liberatore isn't getting it done in the majors for the Cardinals. As other expected key pieces have struggled, the Cardinals have sent them down to Triple-A. The biggest examples are Nolan Gorman and Victor Scott II. A brief time down in the minors to simply reset wouldn't hurt. Plus, in that scenario, the Cardinals easily could bring up Hunter Dobbins and arguably be in a better place in the short term. The Cardinals have shown that they are willing to get bold, even if key contributors are struggling. Liberatore is the next to watch.

Shift Gears With Matthew Liberatore's Role

One thing that has been true about Liberatore this season is that he's typically been good through the first time through the order. Thursday was a different example. But in general, Liberatore has been solid his first time through the order.

Until Liberatore is able to really get back on track, he should be used in three- or four-inning efforts, whether starting, or coming in as a bulk reliever. Simply put, something has to be done. How long can you do the same thing over and over and hope for a different result?

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