Cardinals' Zack Thompson: Re-evaluated after setback
Rotowire
Thompson is back in St. Louis to be re-evaluated after suffering a setback with his injured left lat, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Thompson was diagnosed with a left lat strain in early March and shut down for about a month. It's not clear where he was at in his throwing program when he experienced a setback, but more information about his status should be available after he's looked at by doctors in St. Louis.
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Cardinals' Zack Thompson: Throws from 100 feet on flat ground
Rotowire
Thompson (lat) has progressed to throwing from 100 feet on flat ground, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Thompson was diagnosed with a left lat strain in early March and will require a standard spring training buildup before he's ready for games. The left-hander was shifted to the 60-day injured list Monday, so he won't be eligible for activation until late May. Thompson is likely to be assigned to Triple-A Memphis once he's healthy.
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Cardinals' Zack Thompson: Shifted to 60-day injured list
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The Cardinals transferred Thompson (lat) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Monday.
The transaction frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for catcher Yohel Pozo, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Memphis. Thompson is now ineligible to return from his left lat strain until late May.
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Cardinals' Zack Thompson: Headed to IL
Rotowire
The Cardinals will place Thompson (lat) on the 15-day injured list Monday.
Thompson is dealing with a Grade 1 lat strain and is in the midst of a 3-to-4 week shutdown from throwing. He had been competing for a roster spot prior to suffering the injury, but it seems likely he'll be sent to Triple-A when he's healthy enough to take the mound again. Thompson had a rough go during five appearances in the majors last season, posting a 9.53 ERA, 1.88 WHIP and 20:8 K:BB over 17 innings.
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Cardinals' Zack Thompson: Dealing with Grade 1 lat strain
Rotowire
Thompson has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 left lat strain and will not throw for 3-to-4 weeks, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Thompson was battling for a spot on the Cardinals' Opening Day roster in spring training, but the 27-year-old southpaw has suffered a significant setback that could lead to him starting the regular season on the injured list. He spent most of 2024 with Triple-A Memphis, but he had five major-league outings (including two starts) with St. Louis and posted a 9.53 ERA and 1.88 WHIP across 17 innings.
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Cardinals' Zack Thompson: Team granted additional option year
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The Cardinals were granted a fourth option year on Thompson earlier this offseason, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Before the extra option year was granted, Thompson would have either had to be included on the Opening Day roster or exposed to waivers. Now, St. Louis has the ability to send him to Triple-A Memphis to begin the 2025 season, which it's likely to do after Thompson struggled both in the majors (9.53 ERA) and minors (4.40 ERA, 14.2 percent walk rate) in 2024.
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Cardinals' Zack Thompson: Back from IL
Rotowire
Thompson (undisclosed) was reinstated from Triple-A Memphis' 7-day injured list Friday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
The left-hander has been sidelined nearly a month by an unspecified injury, but he's now healthy and ready to rejoin the Redbirds. Thompson has a 9.53 ERA and 20:8 K:BB over 17 innings for the Cardinals this season and has a 4.17 ERA, 1.51 WHIP and 54:35 K:BB in 11 outings at Triple-A.
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Cardinals' Zack Thompson: Lands on Triple-A IL
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Triple-A Memphis placed Thompson on its 7-day injured list Monday with an unspecified injury.
Since the Cardinals sent him back to Triple-A in late April, Thompson has filled a spot in the Memphis rotation, compiling a 4.17 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 54:35 K:BB in 45.1 innings. Though finding strike zone has been a consistent problem for Thompson throughout his professional career, an injury could be at the root of why he was more wild than usual in his most recent Triple-A start Friday, when he walked six batters over three innings. Thompson is without a clear timeline for a return from the IL.
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Cardinals' Zack Thompson: Starting Wednesday at Triple-A
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Thompson is scheduled to start for Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democratreports.
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol named the left-hander as a candidate to start Saturday against the Cubs, but it appears he'll remain in the minor-league rotation. Thompson could still be an option for St. Louis if Wednesday's outing is a brief one, but the organization seems more likely to go in another direction at this point.
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Cardinals' Zack Thompson: Option for Saturday's start
Rotowire
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Monday that Thompson is a candidate to start Saturday versus the Cubs, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
It sounds like the decision will come down to either Thompson or Andre Pallante, although the team doesn't appear close to making that call. Thompson was sent down last month after posting a 9.53 ERA over five appearances (two starts). He's managed to put up a 1.84 ERA in 14.2 frames with Triple-A Memphis, although that's come with a 14:13 K:BB.
The Cardinals optioned Thompson to Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Thompson broke camp with the Cardinals in a starting role, but he was moved to the bullpen upon Sonny Gray's return from the injured list earlier this month after giving up eight earned runs over 10.1 innings between his first two turns through the rotation. The left-hander didn't adapt well to the shift to a relief role, as he produced a 13.50 ERA, 2.25 WHIP and 11:2 K:BB in 6.2 innings across his three appearances out of the bullpen before St. Louis opted to send him to the minors. Thompson will likely slot into the rotation as he heads to Memphis.
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Cardinals' Zack Thompson: Set to lose rotation spot
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Thompson is expected to lose his rotation spot and move to the bullpen with Sonny Gray (hamstring) on track to return from the 15-day injured list to start Tuesday's game against the Phillies, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Rather than sending Gray out for a minor-league rehab assignment after he tossed 54 pitches in a three-inning simulated game Wednesday, the Cardinals saw enough from the veteran right-hander to feel comfortable having him return from the IL for his next outing. According to Jones, Thompson won't be available out of the bullpen Sunday against the Marlins or in Monday's series opener with the Phillies just in case Gray suffers a setback leading up to Tuesday's game, but Thompson looks like he'll be headed for a relief role before long. Since he isn't yet fully ramped up, Gray is expected to be limited to 65 pitches Tuesday, so Thompson could even be called upon to pitch an inning or two once the former exits his start. After faring respectably upon joining the St. Louis rotation over the final two months of the 2023 campaign, Thompson has struggled to carry any momentum into 2024. Over his first two starts, Thompson has given up eight earned runs on 11 hits and six walks while striking out nine over 10.1 innings.
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Cardinals' Zack Thompson: Struggles with control in loss
Rotowire
Thompson (0-2) took the loss Wednesday against the Padres, surrendering three runs on five hits and four walks across five innings. He struck out five.
Thompson was consistently in trouble Wednesday, allowing a runner to reach or cross second base in each of the first four innings, including a solo home run by Kyle Higashioka in the fourth. He was also picked on by baserunners, giving up three stolen bases on the day. With Sonny Gray (hamstring) on the brink of beginning a rehab stint with Triple-A Memphis, it appears Thompson will only get one or two more turns in the rotation. He's tentatively scheduled for another tough draw against the Phillies next week after opening up the campaign facing the Dodgers and Padres.
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Cardinals' Zack Thompson: Falls to Dodgers
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Thompson dropped to 0-1 in Friday's 6-3 loss to the Dodgers after striking out four while allowing five earned runs on six hits and two walks over 5.1 innings.
All five of the runs charged to Thompson came via home runs, as the left-hander gave up solo homers in the first and second innings before Teoscar Hernandez added a three-run shot in the fourth. Thompson went 5-7 last season with a 4.48 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 72:25 K:BB across 66.1 innings. The southpaw figures to head back to the bullpen, or Triple-A Memphis, when Sonny Gray (hamstring) returns from the IL.
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol announced Friday that Thompson will be a member of the club's season-opening rotation, Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Veteran Sonny Gray (hamstring) will begin the season on the injured list, opening the door for Thompson to earn a rotation spot. The southpaw pitched well during spring training with a 2.81 ERA and 14:6 K:BB across 16 innings, but Thompson will likely only get a few starts to stake his claim to a more permanent rotation spot since Gray isn't expected to have a lengthy absence.
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Cardinals' Zack Thompson: Competing for rotation spot
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Thompson allowed two runs on three hits and struck out three without walking a batter in Saturday's Grapefruit league start versus the Astros.
Thompson and Matthew Liberatore are in the Cardinals' biggest battle for the last starting spot in the rotation. Thompson pitched for 2.2 innings Saturday before giving up back-to-back doubles. With Steven Matz coming along slowly after an injury-plagued 2023, there could be room for both Thompson and Liberatore in the Cardinals' projected early season six-man rotation, but both of them have shown some inconsistency early in the spring.
Thompson pitched 5.1 innings against Milwaukee on Wednesday, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits and one walk while striking out five batters over 5.1 innings. He did not factor in the decision.
Thompson carried a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the sixth frame but couldn't make the advantage stand up. He gave up consecutive doubles to begin the inning, resulting in the Brewers' first run, then saw the game-tying run cross the plate on a one-out fielder's choice. That tally was unearned due to a previous throwing error behind him, but it was nonetheless enough to move Thompson out of position for a win. His last victory came Sept. 9. This was presumably Thompson's final appearance of the campaign, and he finishes with a 4.34 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 72:25 K:BB over 66.1 frames, with nine of his 25 appearances coming as a starter.
Cardinals' Zack Thompson: Start pushed to Wednesday
Rotowire
Thompson will start Wednesday's game at Milwaukee, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Thompson had been lined up to work Tuesday's series opener versus the Brewers, but Miles Mikolas will now get that nod so that he can also potentially handle Sunday's season finale against the Reds back at Busch Stadium. Thompson, 25, has registered an overall 4.57 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 67:24 K:BB in 61 innings (eight starts, 16 relief appearances) this year with St. Louis.
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