Cardinals' Next Move With Red-Hot Kyle Leahy Becoming Clear

The St. Louis Cardinals have gotten a lot from Kyle Leahy so far this season, to say the least.

Leahy hasn't just been the Cardinals' best starting pitcher over the last two months, but one of the best overall hurlers in baseball. In his last 10 starts, Leahy has logged a 1.38 ERA and a 52-to-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 52 1/3 innings pitched. He has been excellent, to say the least. This is Leahy's first season in the starting rotation in his big league career. It started off a bit rocky, but he turned the season around and now has a 3.24 ERA on the season in 24 starts.

For as good as Leahy has been, he's someone to watch down the stretch. He entered the season with a career high of 88 innings pitched in the majors. Right now, he's at 122 1/3 innings pitched. That's just under 40 innings ahead of his career high with just about five weeks to go in the season. Because of this, it appears as though a change is coming. On Thursday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reported that Leahy's innings are going to be "significantly curtailed," although he won't be shut down entirely.

The Cardinals Have A Change Coming

Aug 18, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Kyle Leahy (62) pitches against the Cincinnati Reds in the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"One thing happening in the background: Kyle Leahy’s innings are about to be significantly curtailed, perhaps as soon as this weekend. At last check there were no plans to shut him down, but it may be piggybacks with [Quinn Mathews], may be a straight bullpen move," Jones wrote.

This idea makes a lot of sense. Again, Leahy has already significantly surpassed his career high in innings pitched in the majors. Plus, Mathews already has made two appearances in the majors. On top of this, Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said that he expects Mathews to be in the club's "plans for the rest of this year." So, this idea of Leahy's innings being limited and Mathews getting a bigger opportunity makes perfect sense.

The Cardinals have seen what they needed out of Leahy this season. They transitioned him into a rotation role and he showed that he can make a significant impact. He has proven that he should be in the rotation beyond the 2026 season. Limiting his innings will keep him fresh. Plus, if Mathews gets a bigger opportunity, he has shown that he can have success in the majors. So, it's not as if the club's chances of making a playoff run would drop, or anything like that.

For the Cardinals, this is the right move.

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