Cardinals-Reds Doubleheader Starters: Quinn Mathews Returns

The St. Louis Cardinals have a big day ahead on Monday.

Feb 27, 2026; Jupiter, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Quinn Mathews (60) delivers a pitch against the New York Mets during the first inning at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The red-hot St. Louis Cardinals will kick off an intriguing five-game series on Monday afternoon against the National League Central rival Cincinnati Reds.

Back in May, the Cardinals and Reds were scheduled to face off, but Mother Nature had other plans. On May 24, the Cardinals and Reds had their contest postponed due to inclement weather and that game will be played on Monday afternoon to kick off a day-night doubleheader. The Cardinals and Reds already were scheduled to play a four-game series. So, now, it's going to be a five-game series instead, with a lot on the line in the NL Central.

The Cardinals are two games above .500 and have won four straight series after taking down the Chicago Cubs on Sunday. St. Louis has a legit shot at a Wild Card spot and currently is 3 1/2 games out of a spot. The Reds, on the other hand, are 59-64 and are seven games out of a playoff spot. They need a miracle if they're going to turn their season around at this point.

Still, any time you get two NL Central teams together, it's going to be an interesting series, especially when the Cardinals are scheduled to turn to an intriguing rookie starter in the series.

Here are the Cardinals' scheduled starters for the Reds series.

Monday (Game 1) — Quinn Mathews

Feb 17, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Quinn Mathews (60). Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Mathews made his big league debut on Aug. 1 against the Toronto Blue Jays. That day, he tossed five innings and allowed just two earned runs. He has made 21 starts in Triple-A this season and has a 3.27 ERA in 99 innings of work. Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom has said that he expects Mathews to help down the stretch. This is his next shot.

If Mathews can stay hot, he's going to give St. Louis something to think about for this playoff push.

Monday (Game 2) — Andre Pallante

Aug 5, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Andre Pallante (53) follows through on a pitch against the New York Yankees during the sixth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Pallante has been a revelation for the Cardinals this season. He had a bad 2025 season, but didn't let that carry over into 2026. Last year, he finished the season with a 5.31 ERA in 31 starts. So far this season, he has a 3.46 ERA in 23 starts. Simply put, Pallante has been excellent.

The Reds are scheduled to turn to 24-year-old right-handed hurler Rhett Lowder opposite of Pallante. He has a 5.15 ERA in 21 total appearances this season, including 18 starts.