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Cardinals' Richard Fitts: Undergoes season-ending lat surgery
Rotowire
Fitts has undergone season-ending surgery on his right lat, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Fitts was placed on the 7-day injured list at Triple-A Memphis earlier this week with a lat strain, and testing revealed the need for surgery. Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said Friday that the long-term prognosis for Fitts is good, but the operation will cost him the rest of 2026 and it's possible he also gets a late start to the 2027 campaign. Fitts was acquired from the Red Sox over the offseason in the Sonny Gray trade and had posted a 1.76 ERA and 11:6 K:BB over 15.1 innings at Memphis.
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Cardinals' Richard Fitts: Out with lat strain at Triple-A
Rotowire
Triple-A Memphis placed Fitts on its 7-day injured list Monday due to a right lat strain.
Fitts had gotten off to a nice start with Memphis this season, collecting a 1.76 ERA and 11:6 K:BB over 15.1 innings covering his first three outings. He likely would have been the first pitcher to get the call when the Cardinals needed help in the big-league rotation, but now that opportunity could fall to Hunter Dobbins (knee). Fitts is likely to be sidelined several weeks and perhaps longer, depending on the severity of the strain.
Cardinals' Richard Fitts: Loses out in rotation competition
Rotowire
The Cardinals optioned Fitts to Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday.
Fitts' demotion signals that Kyle Leahy and Andre Pallante have beaten him out in the camp competition for the final two spots in the Cardinals' Opening Day rotation. After being acquired from the Red Sox over the winter, Fitts had an uneven performance over his three Grapefruit League starts, posting a respectable 9:3 K:BB but allowing six earned runs on nine hits across 9.1 innings.
Cardinals' Richard Fitts: Continuing strong rotation case
Rotowire
Fitts notched four strikeouts over three scoreless innings in Wednesday's exhibition game versus Team Nicaragua.
Working in relief, Fitts surrendered four singles in his three frames, but he didn't walk anyone in addition to his four punchouts. His velocity remained up just as it was in his first Grapefruit League outing, averaging 96.6 mph with his four-seamer and 96.2 mph with his sinker. The big righty has spun five scoreless innings between the two appearances while collecting a 5:0 K:BB. Fitts is competing for a spot in the Cardinals' rotation, and that the team is mulling a six-man setup, at least initially, helps his odds.
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Cardinals' Richard Fitts: Big velocity in spring debut
Rotowire
Fitts tossed two scoreless frames Wednesday against the Mets in his Grapefruit League debut.
Fitts surrendered a pair of singles, didn't walk anyone and notched one strikeout. Notably, the righty averaged 97.6 mph with his four-seamer and topped out at 98.6 mph. It's a big velocity jump after he averaged 95.9 mph with the heater in 2025, and it also reinforces that Fitts is healthy after he missed the final five weeks of the regular season with right arm neuritis. Fitts is competing for a spot in the Cardinals' rotation and certainly made a positive first impression.
The Cardinals acquired Fitts and Brandon Clarke from the Red Sox on Tuesday in exchange for Sonny Gray and cash considerations, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Fitts made 14 starts and one relief appearance for the Red Sox the past two years, collecting a 3.97 ERA and 49:23 K:BB over 65.2 innings. The right-hander is under team control through 2031 and stands a good chance to open the season in the Cardinals' rotation. Fitts ended the season on the injured list with right arm neuritis, but he entered the offseason without limitations.
Red Sox's Richard Fitts: Enters winter with no limitations
Rotowire
Fitts (arm) heads into the winter with no limitations, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.
Fitts, who missed the final 30 games of the season due to right arm neuritis, is throwing again and should have a normal offseason, per Boston chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. Injuries to projected rotation members during the spring opened a spot for Fitts early on before he landed on the IL with a pectoral strain. Pending the team's offseason moves -- re-sign Lucas Giolito or add a viable free agent -- Fitts will be part of a group competing for a spot at the back end of the rotation or the bullpen.
