Cardinals' Hunter Dobbins Provides Major Injury Update

The St. Louis Cardinals announced their Opening Day lineup on Wednesday and one thing that wasn't shocking was the fact that the club also announced that young starting pitcher Hunter Dobbins was being placed on the Injured List.

Dobbins tore his ACL in 2025 as a member of the Boston Red Sox and was worked along slowly throughout Spring Training. It was clear for a while that he would be missing time and the Cardinals confirmed the fact on Wednesday.

"OF Lars Nootbaar has been placed on the 60-day IL (bilateral Haglund’s Deformity excision)," the Cardinals announced. "RHP Hunter Dobbins has been placed on the 15-day IL (right knee ACL reconstruction-rehab)."

On the bright side, Dobbins posted on X that he will be beginning a rehab assignment on Tuesday.

"Rehab assignment starting Tuesday," Dobbins wrote on X in response to a fan.

The Cardinals hurler gave an update on social media

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

Rehab assignment starting Tuesday
— Hunter Dobbins (@HunterD_20) March 25, 2026

When Dobbins is fully ready to go, he will provide another intriguing depth option for this club. Dobbins is just 26 years old and was great as a rookie last year with Boston. He had a 4.13 ERA in 13 total appearances, including 11 starts. The first start of his career actually came against the Cardinals. Dobbins took the hill on April 6 against the Cardinals and was the winner in an ugly 18-7 game in Boston's favor. Dobbins allowed two earned runs and struck out five batters across five innings of work.

The Cardinals are rolling with a rotation including Michael McGreevy, Matthew Liberatore, Dustin May, Andre Pallante and Kyle Leahy to begin the season. Richard Fitts competed for a spot, but didn't make the team out of camp. He's a depth option down in Triple-A. Dobbins will also fit that description when he's ready to roll. Both Fitts and Dobbins came over in trades with the Red Sox this past offseason.

At the end of the day, you can never have too much good pitching. For St. Louis, the organization stockpiled young arms throughout the offseason. With all of the additions, the Cardinals have enough depth to get through if injuries pop up. The Cardinals have the five starters in the mix already, Fitts and Dobbins coming at some point, plus Quinn Mathews down in Triple-A as well. Overall, this update from Dobbins is very positive and will give the club even more depth in the not-so-distant future.