Matz will work in long relief to begin the campaign, though he is expected to enter the rotation as a sixth starter April 16 against the Astros, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Matz was a candidate to land a spot in the Opening Day rotation, but he'll instead come out of the bullpen until St. Louis shifts to a six-man unit. The southpaw had a strong spring, posting a 2.29 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 11:6 K:BB over 19.2 innings, but he's had trouble staying healthy while working mostly as a starter during his 10-year big-league career.

Matz limited the Nationals to one run over six innings in Grapefruit League action Wednesday.

EDGE Analysis

The left-hander permitted just four hits and two walks while recording a pair of strikeouts and getting his pitch count up to 85. Matz has fanned only 11 batters over 17.2 frames this spring, but he's allowed just five runs and looks to have a firm grip on a rotation spot in St. Louis.

The Cardinals are leaning toward putting Matz in their Opening Day rotation, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Matz has yielded just one run with a 3:3 K:BB over five innings in his first two starts this spring. Michael McGreevy would seem to be Matz's biggest competition, but the signs for now point to the veteran lefty getting another chance to start. Injuries have limited Matz to fewer than 50 innings in two of his three seasons with St. Louis.

Matz is scheduled to start the Cardinals' third spring training game Monday versus the Mets, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Matz is coming off an unproductive 2024 season in which he turned in a 5.08 ERA and 1.44 WHIP over 44.1 frames, with recurring back problems playing a part in his deflated innings count. The veteran lefty was deployed out of the bullpen for much of September, but with Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn reaching free agency this winter and the Cardinals not making any major offseason additions to the pitching staff, Matz should be in good position to open the season as the club's No. 5 starter. Matz is entering the final season of a four-year, $44 million contract and likely won't have much job security if he emerges from camp with a rotation spot. St. Louis has a pair of intriguing young pitching prospects in Quinn Mathews and Michael McGreevy waiting in the wings to step in if Matz falters or gets injured.

Matz will be available out of the bullpen going forward from Sunday, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

The left-hander returned from the 60-day IL as a starter Tuesday in Milwaukee and allowed three runs over 4.2 innings, but he'll be shifted to the bullpen with Lance Lynn (knee) on the cusp of rejoining St. Louis' rotation. Matz has a 6.12 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and 24:12 K:BB across 32.1 innings this season and is now likely to operate as a long reliever.

Matz did not factor into the decision in Tuesday's 7-4 win against Milwaukee, allowing three runs on three hits and one walks over 4.2 innings. He struck out seven.

EDGE Analysis

In his first appearance since April 30 due to a back injury, Matz surprisingly flashed the ability to punch out hitters, posting a season-high seven strikeouts generated via a solid 14 whiffs. However, the veteran southpaw struggled to limit damage against the first-place Brewers, as all three hits he yielded went for extra bases (two home runs and one double). Prior to this outing, Matz had pitched to a 6.18 ERA, 1.73 WHIP and 24:12 K:BB across 32.1 innings this season, so this performance did represent progress despite his inability to escape the fifth inning. The 33-year-old's future in the rotation is uncertain as Lance Lynn (back) is on a rehab assignment and could overtake Matz's spot.

Matz will start Tuesday's game in Milwaukee, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

EDGE Analysis

Matz was activated from the 60-day injured list Sunday and available out of the bullpen for the Cardinals' win over the Yankees. He was not used, however, and the team has opted to give him a spot start while they push other rotation members back. Matz seems likely to shift back to a relief role after Tuesday's outing, although it's possible he earns additional starts if he pitches well.

The Cardinals reinstated Matz (back) from the 60-day injured list Sunday.

EDGE Analysis

Matz will rejoin the big club for the first time since early May after he completed a lengthy recovery from a lower-back strain and the subsequent setback he experienced in June. He restarted his rehab assignment Aug. 1 and built up to five innings and 85 pitches over the course of six outings at Triple-A Memphis, but Matz doesn't appear as though he'll be reclaiming a spot in the St. Louis rotation in September. Miles Mikolas is starting Sunday's series finale against the Yankees, while John Denton of MLB.com relays that Andre Pallante, Sonny Gray and Erick Fedde are listed as the Cardinals' three starters for the team's upcoming series in Milwaukee. While St. Louis could expand its rotation to six men, Lance Lynn (back) is poised to make a rehab start Sunday and could be activated later this week to fill a potential opening. As such, Matz could be relegated to a multi-inning role out of the bullpen.

Matz (back) is traveling with the Cardinals on the road trip starting Friday and is expected to be activated from the injured list during the weekend, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

EDGE Analysis

If activated as expected, it seems Matz will be added as the extra pitcher when rosters are expanded Sunday. The southpaw completed his sixth rehab start Tuesday with Triple-A Memphis in which he gave up two eared on five hits over three innings. It still remains to be seen or reported if he will return as a starter in the rotation or long reliever. A factor that may play a part in that decision is JoJo Romero's health, who was reported as a bit more sore than his usual.

Matz (back) struck out three batters and gave up four runs (two earned) on five hits and no walks over three innings in his rehab start Tuesday with Triple-A Memphis.

EDGE Analysis

Matz tossed 64 pitches (45 strikes) in his sixth rehab start, with the Cardinals deliberating scaling back his workload Tuesday after he tossed 85 pitches and five innings his last time out for the Triple-A club Aug. 21. Though Matz is expected to return from the 60-day injured list to make his next appearance with the Cardinals, a decision hasn't been made whether he'll slot into the rotation or serve as a multi-inning option out of the bullpen. Per Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, the Cardinals have already confirmed their starting pitchers through Sunday, so if Matz does in fact rejoin the rotation, he won't take the hill until at least Monday's series opener in Milwaukee.