Cardinals 26-Year-Old Reportedly on Outside of Rotation Race

The St. Louis Cardinals' exact rotation hasn't been determined yet, but it does sound like one hurler will not be in the mix for a spot in the Opening Day rotation.

St. Louis is loaded with young talent at this point. Matthew Liberatore and Michael McGreevy will lead the way for the club followed by free agent pickup Dustin May. Beyond these three, it's a bit up in the air. Kyle Leahy, Richard Fitts and Andre Pallante all have been options vying for spots in the rotation throughout Spring Training. Another guy to watch this season is going to be Hunter Dobbins, who was acquired in one of the Cardinals' trades with the Boston Red Sox this past offseason.

But the Cardinals have been working Dobbins along slowly after he tore his ACL as a member of the Red Sox in 2025. While breaking down the various rotation options for St. Louis, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted that Dobbins isn't in the competition for a back-end rotation spot at this moment.

The Cardinals' hurler won't be in the rotation to begin the season

Feb 16, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Hunter Dobbins (40) warms up with a football during spring training workouts at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

"The Cardinals have focused their attention on six starters, and the discussion is whether they keep all six going into the year as their rotation or adjust to some modified six-man rotation that involves a pitcher moving between starter and reliever role," Goold wrote. "Fitts has made a strong first impression with the club, while Kyle Leahy and Andre Pallante are also pitching for starter spots and both have experience in long- and late-inning relief. The Cardinals want to give Leahy the same opportunity that they provided Liberatore a year ago by promising a long, regular-season run as a starter.

"The Cardinals were emboldened by how that worked for Liberatore and are eager to try it again with Leahy, whose assortment of pitches and ability to sustain velocity suggest success as a starter. Hunter Dobbins, who is coming back from knee surgery, continues to advance on his throwing program, but his innings have come in controlled settings and not in the competition for a rotation spot."

Dobbins' time will come at some point. The 26-year-old logged a 4.13 ERA as a rookie in 2025 for Boston across 13 total outings, including 11 starts. But unfortunately, it sounds like that won't be at the very start of the 2026 season.