Why Quinn Mathews is On Watch For the Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals have begun to slide a little bit. After a hot start to 2026, they now sit at .500 as the month of July comes to a close.

It's obvious at this point what they're going to do at the trade deadline, but their farm system is looking stronger than it did a few years back, thanks to some emerging starting pitchers. One of those pitchers is left-hander Quinn Mathews.

Mathews was scheduled to start on Thursday for the Memphis Redbirds, their Triple-A affiliate. However, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News Democrat provided an important update on the left-hander.

The Cardinals originally said that Quinn Mathews would pitch today for Memphis. They now list Brandt Thompson and Jared Shuster as their starters for their doubleheader," Jones posted on X. "Mathews does not appear through Sunday. Marmol said he would update the rotation postgame."

The Cardinals originally said that Quinn Mathews would pitch today for Memphis. They now list Brandt Thompson and Jared Shuster as their starters for their doubleheader. Mathews does not appear through Sunday. Marmol said he would update the rotation postgame. #AClue
— Jeff Jones (@jmjones) July 30, 2026

Cardinals may have rotation reinforcement soon

This could indicate that Mathews may be called up soon. The Cardinals have witnessed left-hander Matthew Liberatore going through some struggles over the past several months. Liberatore is scheduled to start Saturday against the Toronto Blue Jays, but the Cardinals may finally be deciding that enough is enough.

Mathews has done well down in Memphis and has earned an opportunity to join the big-league rotation, and he is one of St. Louis' top starting pitching prospects, so now would be a good time to give him a chance.

The ideal situation would be for him to replace Liberatore. While nothing is confirmed just yet, it seems likely that he will finally make his major league debut over the weekend in Toronto and that some changes will be coming for the current rotation.

It's also important to note that because the Cardinals are selling, Dustin May could be on the way out, so Mathews could also replace him in the rotation if the Cardinals want to stick with Liberatore. But the time has come for Mathews to get his chance to shine.

The Cardinals' pitching pipeline is much stronger than it was last year or in years prior, and having somebody else that they can plug into the rotation would be most beneficial.

It will be interesting to see what the move truly is, but all signs seem to point to the Cardinals promoting Mathews soon and giving him a chance to start over the weekend leading up to the trade deadline.

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