Cardinals' Hunter Dobbins to Begin MiLB Rehab Assignment: What it Means

The St. Louis Cardinals will complete their first time around the starting rotation in the 2026 Major League Baseball season on Tuesday.

There have been some massive bright spots, including Matthew Liberatore and Michael McGreevy. Liberatore went five innings on Opening Day and allowed just one run against the Tampa Bay Rays. McGreevy followed up with six no-hit innings in the second game of the season against Tampa Bay. The last two games weren't the same, though. Dustin May struggled in his first start in a Cardinals uniform as he allowed six earned runs in four innings pitched against Tampa Bay. Kyle Leahy followed up with four runs allowed on Monday in a series opener against the New York Mets across five innings of work.

Andre Pallante will get the ball on Tuesday night to complete the first time through the rotaton.

One positive for the Cardinals this season is the fact that they have much more pitching depth than in recent years in large part because of the trades of the offseason. The Cardinals acquired pitching prospects, like Brandon Clarke and Jurrangelo Cijntje, among others. St. Louis also landed hurlers with big league experience in Richard Fitts and Hunter Dobbins. The depth is there this season, so if injuries pop up or guys struggle, there will be options to bring other guys up. Fitts didn't make the club out of Spring Training, but is ready to roll down in Triple-A. Dobbins was worked along slowiy throughout Spring Training because of the fact that he tore his ACL last season as a member of the Boston Red Sox.

The Cardinals hurler got a positive update

Feb 16, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher prospect Grayson Tarlow (right) walks with pitcher Hunter Dobbins (40) during spring training workouts at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

But the Cardinals did announce some good news on Monday as they confirmed that Dobbins will be beginning a Triple-A rehab assignment on Tuesday, as shared on X by Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

"Hunter Dobbins (knee) is set to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday with Class AAA Memphis, [Cardinals] president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom confirmed," Guerrero wrote. "Dobbins built up his arm during spring training but was limited in fielding his position as he worked back from an ACL tear."

With Dobbins set to begin a minor league rehab assignment, that's going to get the clock ticking. Minor league rehab assignments can last up to 30 days for pitchers. From there, the team would need to either put him on the big league roster or option him down to Triple-A, which is the most likely option at this time. Regardless, though, Dobbins is making progress. If the Cardinals' rotation struggles, don't be shocked if he does get a shot at some point on the earlier side this season.