Cardinals Pitcher Cleared To Take Major Step In Recovery From Nagging Injury

St. Louis got some good news on Tuesday about one of its starters

Mar 31, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Steven Matz (32) throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the second inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals got some good news on Tuesday.

St. Louis' starting rotation hasn't been at full strength recently as Steven Matz has dealt with a nagging back injury. Matz had a strong start to the season, but the back strain significantly impacted his performance and he has been on the Injured List over the last few weeks.

Matz hasn't appeared in a game since April 30th and is still likely a few weeks away from a possible return, but he got some good news on Tuesday as he was cleared to begin playing catch, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Lynn Worthy.

"(Left-handed pitcher) Steven Matz was cleared to play catch starting today," Worthy said. "He's been on the (Injured List) since May 1 with a lower back strain. He'd been 'no throw' for the previous week after he received a pain injection."

St. Louis attempted to fill the last spot in the starting rotation by moving Matthew Liberatore from his role in the bullpen but things didn't work out as hoped. Liberatore has bounced around between the rotation and bullpen throughout his young career but seemed to find a nice groove out of the bullpen this season before the injury to Matz.

The Cardinals already have said they are looking for another way to fill the spot and Liberatore will be moving back to the bullpen. Hopefully, this update about Matz is a sign that he won't miss much more time.

More MLB: Cardinals Failed Trade Viewed As St. Louis' Biggest Mistake Of Offseason