The Cardinals announced that Matz was removed from his start Sunday against the Pirates in the first inning due to left shoulder stiffness, Jim Hayes of Bally Sports Midwest reports.

EDGE Analysis

When he exited after throwing just four pitches, Matz looked to be grabbing at his midsection, which suggested a hip injury was in play. Instead, a shoulder issue was at the root of Matz's early departure, which makes sense given that he saw a steep drop in his velocity on his final pitch. Angel Rondon was summoned out of the bullpen to work in long relief, but the Cardinals could recall Matthew Liberatore from Triple-A Memphis if Matz is forced to go on the injured list. The Cardinals have an off day coming up Wednesday, which would allow the team to get by with a four-man rotation until May 30.