The Cardinals optioned Flaherty to Triple-A Memphis on Sunday.

EDGE Analysis

With Adam Wainwright (elbow) hitting the 10-day disabled list last Sunday, Flaherty was summoned from the minors for his second start of the season Saturday against the Pirates. He covered five frames while taking the loss in the contest, giving up three runs on four hits and four walks while striking out two. The Cardinals will send Flaherty back to Memphis to clear a spot on the active roster for fellow Triple-A rotation member Austin Gomber, but it's likely that Gomber will only stick around with the big club as a long reliever. St. Louis is able to get by without a fifth starter until May 8, at which point Wainwright may be ready to return from the DL or Flaherty could be recalled for another start.

Flaherty (0-1) allowed three earned runs on four hits while walking four and striking out two across five innings to take the loss Saturday against the Pirates.

EDGE Analysis

Flaherty's start was a mixed bag as he pitched better than his final line will indicate, with the biggest problem being that he lost his command and walked the last two batters he faced. Those runners were ultimately allowed to score and Flaherty's line was inflated as a result. However, this was by no means his best outing as he allowed a home run and relied on three double plays to get out of jams, so his line wasn't completely undeserved. It remains unclear whether Flaherty will have the opportunity to redeem himself, an answer that will likely be determined by Adam Wainwright's health.

Flaherty was called up Saturday in order to make his scheduled start against the Pirates.

EDGE Analysis

Flaherty is needed in the Cardinals' rotation with Adam Wainwright (elbow) on the disabled list. It's unclear how many starts he'll get, as there haven't been any reports that Wainwright's issue is particularly serious. Flaherty made one start for the Cardinals earlier this year, allowing one run on six hits and a walk over five innings, striking out nine.

Flaherty will be recalled from Triple-A Memphis and start Saturday's game against the Pirates, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

It was already expected that Flaherty would be called upon to start Saturday's game after he was scratched from his scheduled minor-league start Wednesday, but now the Cardinals have confirmed that notion. The talented 22-year-old will face a Pirates team that ranks in the lower half of the majors in team OPS against right-handed pitchers.

Flaherty, who is considered the leading candidate to start Saturday's game against the Pirates, has already been pulled from his scheduled Wednesday start for Triple-A Memphis, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

General manager Michael Girsch continues to be somewhat coy about the team's exact plans for Saturday's game, simply saying "we have a pretty good idea of who it's going to be." However, the fact Flaherty has been removed from his next scheduled start lends further credence to his candidacy, as he would have been automatically eliminated from consideration otherwise. Flaherty has already filled in once at the major-league level this season with positive results, racking up nine strikeouts over five innings against the Brewers on April 3.

Flaherty won't start Tuesday's game against the Mets, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

EDGE Analysis

Due to Adam Wainwright landing on the disabled list, it had been expected that Flaherty would be recalled from Triple-A Memphis prior to Tuesday's outing versus the Mets. Instead, the Cardinals will send Luke Weaver to the hill and have the rest of their rotation pitch a day earlier. As a result, they'll next need a fifth stater Saturday when they face the Pirates, at which point Flaherty will be the leading candidate to join the rotation.

Flaherty will likely rejoin the Cardinals' starting rotation following Adam Wainwright's placement on the disabled list Sunday, Mark Saxon of The Athletic St. Louis reports.

EDGE Analysis

Adam Wainwright hit the DL on Sunday with right elbow inflammation, opening up a spot in the rotation. Flaherty is the obvious candidate to fill that vacancy as he's already on the 40-man roster and put up an impressive performance in his start against the Brewers during the season's first week. The 22-year-old also has nothing left to prove in the minors, as he holds a 2.25 ERA and 22:3 K:BB over 20 innings with Triple-A Memphis this year. If he is indeed recalled, he will likely start Tuesday's game against the Mets. He has mixed-league value when in the majors.

Flaherty tossed seven innings and gave up two runs (one earned) on two hits and a walk while striking out six for Triple-A Memphis in the club's 6-2 win over Omaha in Game 1 of a doubleheader.

EDGE Analysis

Since minor-league doubleheaders consist of a pair of seven-inning contests, Flaherty was officially credited with his first complete game as a professional, despite not covering nine frames. The right-hander now owns a 2.25 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 22:3 K:BB across 20 innings through his three outings with Memphis, providing ample evidence that he's ready for a spot in the big-league rotation. Unfortunately for Flaherty, all five of the St. Louis starters are healthy at the moment, and neither Adam Wainwright nor Miles Mikolas has performed poorly enough for manager Mike Matheny to contemplate a shakeup at the back of the rotation.

Flaherty racked up 11 strikeouts and allowed an earned run on five hits over seven innings in Triple-A Memphis' 4-1 victory over Round Rock on Sunday.

EDGE Analysis

Just five days ago, Flaherty was similarly impressive with the big-league club, allowing an earned run over five innings while compiling nine strikeouts against the Brewers. However, with the Cardinals needing a roster spot to accommodate Adam Wainwright's return from a hamstring injury, Flaherty was sent back down to the Redbirds after that outing. The 22-year-old already demonstrated that he could dominate Triple-A bats in 2017 over 15 appearances with Memphis, generating a 2.74 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 85:24 K:BB across 85.1 innings. Therefore, his stellar effort Sunday was hardly surprising, and corroborates that the only thing likely keeping Flaherty from a callup is a lack of an open rotation spot.

Flaherty was optioned to Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Cardinals needed to clear a roster spot for Adam Wainwright (hamstring) to return from the disabled list, and Flaherty was a logical choice since he's unavailable for a few days following Tuesday's start. The 22-year-old pitched well, allowing just one run in five innings of work in the no-decision. He will likely be the first pitcher called back to the majors if another injury strikes the big-league rotation.