Inside The Cardinals

MLB Insider Reveals Bizarre Mishap From Michael McGreevy’s 1st Spring Start

The young St. Louis Cardinals hurler felt something odd with the baseball on Monday.
Patrick McAvoy|
Feb 14, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Michael McGreevy (36) delivers a pitch during a spring training workout at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Feb 14, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Michael McGreevy (36) delivers a pitch during a spring training workout at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals

St. Louis Cardinals fans got their first look at young starting pitcher Michael McGreevy of the spring on Monday.

Matthew Liberatore got the ball in the first game of Spring Training followed by Kyle Leahy in the second game on Sunday. McGreevy got the ball in game No. 3 on Monday and was solid while allowing just one earned run across two innings of work. Overall, he struck out two batters and allowed two base hits, including a solo home run representing the lone run.

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That's a pretty good day in general for the 25-year-old. It sounds like it could've been even better. MLB.com's Mark Feinsand revealed that McGreevy accidentally used a scuffed-up, batting practice ball when he gave up the homer.

The Cardinals hurler has a big season ahead

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Michael McGreevy
Feb 14, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Michael McGreevy (36) looks on during spring training at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

"As Michael McGreevy prepared to face his first batter of the spring, he noticed something different about the baseball in his hand," Feinsand wrote. "It was all scuffed up. He threw it away and got another. Same issue. 'I'm like, ‘OK, this is what we're dealing with,' McGreevy said. Three pitches later, Marlins leadoff hitter Jakob Marsee ripped a cutter over the right-field wall for a home run. Not exactly the start McGreevy was hoping for.

“'The umpire comes up to me, like, ‘Are the balls just slick?’' McGreevy said. 'I'm like, ‘Dude, I think we're using the wrong bucket of balls. There are scuffs; these balls are messed up on all of them.' Home-plate umpire Lance Barksdale rolled a couple of balls to the Cardinals’ dugout, where manager Oliver Marmol and special assistant Yadier Molina immediately noticed the problem: McGreevy was given batting practice balls."

The best way to sum this up is it's Spring Training. Sometimes things are a bit weird in Spring Training as each team prepares for the marathon that is the Major League Baseball season. Even while accidentally using batting practice balls, which typically go further, McGreevy looked good in his spring debut.

As long as he's ready to go by Opening Day and using the game balls by then, that's all that matters.

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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