The Cardinals outrighted Thompson (lat) to Triple-A Memphis on Thursday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Thompson missed the entire 2025 season with a left lat strain he suffered in March. He endured several setbacks during his recovery, and it's unclear whether he will be ready for spring training. Thompson is now off the 40-man roster but will remain in the organization.
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Cardinals' Zack Thompson: Suffers another setback
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Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Tuesday that Thompson (lat) has suffered another setback, Matt Pauley of KMOX Sports reports.
Marmol didn't offer any additional specifics on Thompson's status, but it's yet another setback with a left lat strain that's kept the hurler out all season. At this stage of the season, the odds of Thompson making it back to pitch this year appear long. The bigger question might be whether he needs surgery, and that is unclear.
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Cardinals' Zack Thompson: Hopes to resume throwing soon
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Thompson (lat) said Friday that he's hoping to resume a throwing program within the next "week or two," Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Thompson resumed throwing in June following a setback with his left lat in May, but evidently he suffered another setback that has limited him to a strengthening program. The left-hander admitted Friday that he's still feeling discomfort, so a resumption of his throwing program by early August doesn't seem to be a given. Thompson has been sidelined all season with a high-grade left lat strain.
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Cardinals' Zack Thompson: Throws from 100 feet on flat ground
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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
Rotowire
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: 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: Struggles with control in loss
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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.
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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.
Thompson (4-5) earned the win Sunday, allowing three runs on seven hits and zero walks over seven innings against Pittsburgh. He struck out six.
It was the longest outing of Thompson's career, as he closed out the seventh emphatically by inducing a pop-up then striking out the final two batters for a 1-2-3 inning. The win was his second over the Pirates in 11 days and helped the Cardinals stave off a sweep. Thompson will carry a 3.86 ERA into his next start, likely to take place next weekend in Cincinnati.
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Cardinals' Zack Thompson: Goes four innings in no-decision
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Thompson did not factor into the decision Tuesday, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and four walks over four innings against San Diego. He struck out three.
Thompson's final line certainly could've been worse, as he was charged with just two earned runs despite allowing nine Padres to reach base over four innings. The 25-year-old southpaw hasn't allowed more than two earned runs through five starts since rejoining St. Louis' rotation, though he's yet to pitch more than five innings. Overall, he's 3-5 with a 3.92 ERA, 1.54 WHIP and 47:18 K:BB across 39 innings this season. Thompson's currently in line for a tough road matchup with Atlanta in his next start.
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Cardinals' Zack Thompson: Takes fifth loss
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Thompson (2-5) allowed two runs on six hits and a walk over five innings Friday, striking out five and taking a loss against the Mets.
Thompson was greeted by Brandon Nimmo's leadoff shot to begin the game but still turned in a decent outing. It was Thompson's longest appearance of the year and first start since officially moving into the Cardinals' rotation. Over his last three trips to the mound, he's given up just four runs while posting an 18:2 K:BB through 13 innings. His next start is currently lined up to be in Pittsburgh next week.
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Cardinals' Zack Thompson: Collects win Wednesday
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Thompson (2-2) allowed three hits over two scoreless innings to earn the win Wednesday over the Marlins. He did not strike out or walk a batter.
Thompson has been on the big-league roster since July 5, but he hadn't appeared in a game since his June 29 outing for Triple-A Memphis. Despite the long layoff, the southpaw delivered solid relief work in Wednesday's bullpen game. He's at a 3.95 ERA with a 1.76 WHIP and 18:9 K:BB over 13.2 major-league innings this season. Thompson and JoJo Romero are the two southpaws in the Cardinals' bullpen currently, but Thompson is likely to remain in a low-leverage role.
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Cardinals' Zack Thompson: Handed second loss
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Thompson (1-2) allowed two runs on a hit and two walks with one strikeout over two-thirds of an inning, taking the loss Sunday versus the Dodgers.
Thompson got out of a mess made by starter Jake Woodford in the fourth inning, only to create trouble on his own in the fifth. Thompson allowed the first three batters to reach in the fifth, and Drew VerHagen allowed two of them to score, which put the Dodgers ahead for good. This is the third outing in a row in which Thompson's allowed multiple runs, a discouraging turn of events after he limited the damage to one unearned run in his first eight appearances. The southpaw owns a 4.63 ERA, 1.80 WHIP and 18:9 K:BB with a hold in 11.2 innings over 11 appearances.
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Cardinals' Zack Thompson: Takes loss versus Seattle
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Thompson (1-1) allowed two runs on a hit and a walk while striking out one over two-thirds of an inning, taking the loss Saturday versus the Mariners.
Thompson replaced Miles Mikolas with one out in the sixth inning and finished the frame. In the seventh, Thompson put two batters aboard, and Giovanny Gallegos let them both come around to score. These were the first earned runs on Thompson's line through nine appearances this season. The southpaw owns a 1.80 ERA through 10 innings, but his 1.40 WHIP and 15:5 K:BB aren't all that encouraging. He'll likely continue to serve as a middle-relief option.
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Cardinals' Zack Thompson: Collects win Friday
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Thompson (1-0) allowed a hit and a walk while striking out four over 1.2 innings to earn the win Friday over the Pirates.
Starter Jake Woodford pitched 5.1 scoreless innings but received no run support. Thompson was able to get some help as the Cardinals got on the board in the sixth inning and maintained the lead to earn him the win in his sixth appearances this season. The southpaw has done well as a multi-inning option, giving up one unearned run on six hits and four walks while striking out 11 over seven innings this season. He also has a hold. Thompson is the Cardinals' most effective lefty in the bullpen, so he could work his way into some high-leverage spots.
