MLB Player News

Helsley has allowed a hit and a walk while striking out three over two innings across two Grapefruit League appearances.

Helsley enters 2024 with a tentative grasp on the closing role in St. Louis. A forearm injury derailed his 2023, though he was solid with 14 saves and a 2.45 ERA over 36.2 innings last season. The Cardinals have retooled their bullpen a bit, but Helsley should remain the favorite for saves to begin the campaign.

Gibson allowed three runs on three hits and struck out two over two innings in his first Grapefruit League appearance of the season.

Gibson was tagged for two home runs in his first spring start. The veteran starter had a 4.73 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 157:55 K:BB over 192 innings for the Orioles last season before signing a one-year deal with the Cardinals in November. Gibson can still eat innings to an extent, but the results are likely to be mediocre -- his ERA has been over 4.50 in four of the last five seasons.

O'Brien has allowed three hits and struck out two without walking a batter over three scoreless innings in Grapefruit League play.

O'Brien was acquired in a trade with the Mariners in November and added to the Cardinals' 40-man roster. So far, he's making a good case for a bullpen spot in 2024. Last season was his first good one at the Triple-A level -- he had a 2.29 ERA and saved 15 games for Triple-A Tacoma, but it remains to be seen how he'll adjust to major-league hitters in a larger sample.

Walker has gone 2-for-13 with seven strikeouts and a walk over his first five Grapefruit League games.

Walker's seven strikeouts lead all Cardinals hitters this spring. The 21-year-old didn't have a terrible time with whiffs as a rookie last year, posting a middle-of-the-road 22.4 percent strikeout rate with a decent 8.1 percent walk rate. He hit .276 with a .787 OPS, 16 home runs, 51 RBI, 51 runs scored and seven stolen bases over 117 contests. Walker's still got untapped power potential, though he's likely to begin 2024 batting in the middle of the order as opposed to the top third.

Moreta was removed from Sunday's spring game against the Orioles due to an apparent elbow injury, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

The right-hander averaged just under 90 mph on his fastball Sunday, which is significantly down from his 95.2-mph average last season. The specifics of the situation remain unclear, but Moreta was seen shaking his arm as he exited the field.

Goldschmidt is 1-for-10 with five strikeouts and a walk over his first five Grapefruit League games.

Goldschmidt's strikeout rate ticked up to 23.5 percent last season -- it's been steadily going up since his career-low mark of 18.7 percent in 2020. By normal standards, Goldschmidt was fine with a .268/.363/.447 slash line over 154 games last season, but it was a vast drop compared to his MVP-level performance the year before. The 36-year-old first baseman isn't in danger over losing his spot in the lineup, but he may simply no longer be the ever-reliable hitter he once was. A better showing from the Cardinals' offense as a whole may be able to buoy Goldschmidt's numbers even if his best years are behind him.

Manager Craig Counsell said Sunday that Tauchman will be included on the Cubs' Opening Day roster, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.

It's not a major surprise given the veteran outfielder had a solid .740 OPS in 108 games for Chicago last season, but it's still worth noting given Cody Bellinger was recently re-signed. Tauchman is poised to served as the Cubs' fourth outfielder and isn't likely to have much fantasy utility in that role.

Rom allowed a walk and struck out one over two scoreless and hitless innings in his first Grapefruit League appearance.

Rom was projected to pitch Sunday versus the Marlins, but that game was rained out. The 24-year-old lefty has long odds to make the Cardinals' rotation, even if the team begins the year with six starters. Rom should be expected to open the year at Triple-A Memphis, and he'll likely stay stretched out should the Cardinals need reinforcements in the summer.

Rogers has allowed four unearned runs on three hits and two walks over 1.2 innings in Cactus League play.

Rogers is a two-time 30-save man, but he'll have a tough time leapfrogging Camilo Doval and Tyler Rogers in the late-inning mix. The left-handed Rogers had a 3.83 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 64:25 K:BB over 51.2 innings last season, adding two saves and 12 holds. He could still see the occasional save chance, but he struggled mightily versus right-handed hitters last season, so his usage could end up being more situational than his fellow late-inning relievers.

Rogers has hit a batter, allowed one hit and struck out one over two scoreless innings in Cactus League play.

Rogers is set to resume his role as a setup man in 2024. He's recorded 85 holds and 18 saves over the last four seasons. Rogers had a 3.04 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 60:19 K:BB over 74 innings in 2023 as one of the Giants' most-used relievers. The submariner doesn't have overpowering stuff, but he rarely gives up hard contact. Pitching at Oracle Park half the time will usually help to keep the ball in the yard on the rare occasions opposing hitters can square one up.