Cardinals 'Resurgent' Lefty Not Far From MLB Return

The St. Louis Cardinals isn't far away from pitching in the big leagues again.

Mar 26, 2023; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Packy Naughton (70) throws a pitch during the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have trimmed down the roster left and right with Opening Day just over one week away.

The latest wave of roster cuts came on Sunday as the Cardinals sent seven down to the minors, including lefty reliever Packy Naughton. He was a feel-good story in camp after missing most of the last two seasons due to injuries. He hasn't pitched in a big league game since 2023. But he's healthy now and logged a 1.50 ERA across six Spring Training appearances before going down to the minors.

Although he may not be up in big league camp right now, that doesn't mean that Cardinals fans won't have a chance to potentially see him at Busch Stadium in 2026. In fact, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted that Naughton "set himself up for a promotion" in 2026 and that the club wants to see how his durability holds up down in the minors.

The Cardinals hurler was sent down

Feb 14, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Packy Naughton (71) delivers a pitch during a spring training workout at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

"The Cardinals optioned right-hander Ryan Fernandez to Class-AAA Memphis on Sunday and re-assigned three non-roster relievers to minor-league camp: Luis Gastelum, Gerson Moreno, and lefty Packy Naughton, who had a resurgent camp," Goold wrote. "Naughton’s move to minor-league camp leaves the Cardinals with JoJo Romero and Justin Bruihl as the two lefties for the major-league bullpen.

"In his return after missing most of two years due to injuries, Naughton impressed – and set himself up for a promotion at some point during the season. Before putting him in the big-league bullpen, the Cardinals want Naughton to use time with the Triple-A Redbirds to show his day-to-day durability, how he handles the demands of relief, and show the consistent availability required of the role after missing so much time."

After missing a chunk of time over the last two years, this isn't very surprising. But it is promising that he's right on the doorstep back to the big leagues. Naughton has a 4.98 career ERA in 37 total big league appearances (30 with the Cardinals and seven with the Los Angeles Angels). That number may not jump off the page, but Naughton is someone who has developed into a fan favorite in St. Louis and a return to the mound in the majors in general would be a feel-good story after all he has had to endure. Hopefully, he's able to stay healthy down in Triple-A and work his way back up to the big leagues quickly.