Cardinals 1st-Round Pick Under Pressure After Being Shipped to Minors

Spring training roster cuts were in order for the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday, and though none were surprises, they showed which of the team's young players still had a long way to go.

Left-hander Cooper Hjerpe was the Cardinals' first-round pick in 2022, drafted 22nd overall out of Oregon State. His 2025 season was wiped out by Tommy John surgery last April, and he just started throwing again before the news came down on Monday that he had been optioned to Triple-A to begin the season.

No one in their right mind would have expected Hjerpe, who was added to the 40-man roster in November, to break camp with the big-league club. But now that the first of his three option years is underway, he's clearly got a lot left to prove in his quest to become a rotation staple in St. Louis.

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When can Cardinals fans expect to see Hjerpe?

The Peoria Chiefs’ starting pitcher Cooper Hjerpe (50) against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers during their home opener on Friday, April 5, 2024 at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute, Wis. Peoria defeated Wisconsin 2-1. Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin | Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK

With just four outings under his belt at Double-A from the 2024 season, it will be interesting to see whether Hjerpe pitches more games this season at Triple-A, where he was assigned on Monday, or back with Double-A Springfield.

Hjerpe's numbers in the minors have been quite strong on the whole -- a 3.38 ERA in 93 1/3 innings, 127 strikeouts, and a 1.19 WHIP. The issue now is that his injury has put him under time pressure to show he has a future in the rotation before those options start running out.

Though a major league debut this season is probably out of the question, the priority for Hjerpe is coming back at 100% health, which likely won't happen until July or later, and set himself up to compete for a job in the majors early in 2027.

St. Louis' 40-man roster now has just 30 players left competing for the major league roster, which will be cut down to 26 before March 26. There are also non-roster invitees competing for spots, so plenty more than four players currently on the hunt for roles will find themselves disappointed.