Injuries & Moves: Gallegos (shoulder) lands on IL
May 6: RHP Chris Roycroft added to 40-man roster; RHP Giovanny Gallegos (right shoulder impingement) placed on 15-day injured list; CF Tommy Edman (right wrist surgery) transferred to 60-day IL
Roycroft has posted a 1.38 ERA in 11 games (13 innings) this season with Triple-A Memphis. To make room on the 40-man roster, Edman was transferred from the 10-day to the 60-day IL. Edman, who had right wrist surgery in October, has yet to play this season.
Gallegos is 2-1 with a 12.00 ERA and two holds and one save in 13 appearances. He’s been hit particularly hard of late, surrendering 12 earned runs over his last nine innings. Also, he has not recorded an out in his last two appearances against the Tigers and White Sox. On Sunday, he surrendered his fifth home run of the season, and he also allowed two doubles before being lifted from the game.
Coming into this season, Gallegos had been one of baseball’s most durable pitchers, leading the National League in appearances (268) and innings thrown as a reliever (283 1/3) since 2019, per MLB research. He topped the Cardinals in appearances in 2021 (73) and 2022 (57) before falling to third in 2023 (56) because of ineffectiveness and a season-ending shoulder injury.
May 5: CF Dylan Carlson activated from 15-day IL; C Pedro Pagés optioned to Triple-A Memphis
Carlson, who has been out since March 25, when he sprained his left shoulder following a hard fall on the warning track, was activated on Sunday and immediately inserted into the middle of the struggling Cardinals lineup. Carlson, the team’s best performer in Spring Training, was scheduled to bat fifth against the White Sox.
Pagés, who has been operating as the team’s third catcher in recent weeks, was optioned back to Triple-A Memphis for a third time.
With Tommy Edman still out following an October surgery on his right wrist, Carlson won the starting center-field job following a Spring Training in which he hit three home runs and drove in 13 runs. However, he took a hard fall onto his shoulder three days prior to Opening Day when he collided with right fielder Jordan Walker while chasing a ball in the gap. In four games with Triple-A Memphis, Carlson went 3-for-11 (.273) with a home run and three walks.
RHP Giovanny Gallegos (right shoulder impingement)
Expected return: Late May at the earliest
Gallegos, who has been losing velocity since 2022 and has been hit hard this season, was placed on the 15-day IL with a right shoulder impingement on May 6. Coming into this season, Gallegos had been one of baseball’s most durable pitchers, leading the National League in appearances (268) and innings pitched as a reliever (283 1/3) since 2019. But this season, he’s allowed 12 earned runs in nine innings pitched. He has not retired a batter in either of his last two outings, and the average velocity on his fastball has dropped from 94.3 mph to 92.1 mph from 2022 to 2024. The hard-hit percentage on that pitch has climbed from 46.5 percent to 81.8 percent. (Last updated: May 6)
RHP Keynan Middleton (right forearm strain)
Expected return: Mid/Late May
Middleton threw off a mound for the second time on May 3 and did not feel any ill effects. He plans to throw two more mound sessions, and then kick off a rehab assignment with Double-A Springfield. (Last updated: May 4)
LHP Steven Matz (lower back strain)
Expected return: Mid-May
Matz, who struggled in his most recent outing on April 30 and underwent an MRI on May 2, was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 3 with a lower back strain.
Matz, who has been bothered by numerous injuries throughout his two-plus seasons with the Cardinals since signing a four-year, $44 million free-agent deal, is 1-2 with a 6.18 ERA in six starts this season. After pitching well against the Dodgers and Marlins to open the season, Matz is 0-2 with an 8.84 ERA over his past four starts. (Last updated: May 3)
DH/1B Matt Carpenter (right oblique strain)
Expected return: Early May
Manager Oliver Marmol said Carpenter was “feeling really good” after taking live batting practice on April 29. Carpenter will repeat the activity on April 30, and then Marmol said the club will “start to figure out” what a rehab assignment will look like for the 38-year-old.
