Latest news with #OliMarmol
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cardinals' Oli Marmol breaks silence on Erick Fedde decision
The St. Louis Cardinals, after dropping a must-win game to the last-place Colorado Rockies, decided to designate starting pitcher Erick Fedde for assignment. John Denton of shared Cardinals manager Oli Marmol's reaction to the team's decision to designate Fedde for assignment. Marmol praised Fedde and was also candid about why the team cut ties with the 32-year-old veteran. "He understood it," Marmol said of Fedde. "He was a pro about it. He understood that we gave him several chances to try and correct and get on the other side of it. Unfortunately, it wasn't translating into games. He was working hard at it, but he also understood where we are as an organization, and that it opens up a spot for one of the young guys that's going to contribute moving forward." Marmol's overall message about Fedde's release is an accepting one. While it's difficult to cut ties with anyone, Fedde was understanding, and Marmol was able to articulate why the move had to come to pass. Fedde's DFA'ing comes on the heels of one of his worst starts of the season. He lasted just three innings against the Rockies, allowing six earned runs and notching his seventh straight loss. This season, Fedde had a 5.22 ERA and a 3-10 record before being designated for assignment. Earlier in the year, against the Washington Nationals, Fedde had a complete game shutout. MORE: MLB insider reveals three relievers Cardinals are most likely to trade But, even at that point, despite being just eight starts into the year, Fedde's ERA was sitting at 3.86. After 5.1 scoreless in the next game, Fedde took a major step back in his next 11 starts. He had a 7.11 ERA from May 20th until the July 22nd start against the Rockies, which was the final straw. But, most of the damage came in his final five starts in a Cardinals uniform. In his final five-start, Fedde had a 13.25 ERA, allowing eight home runs, 33 hits, 26 runs, walking 11, and striking out only eight. His struggles were too much, and as Marmol mentioned, Fedde had plenty of chances to turn the corner. But, he couldn't, which led to him being designated for assignment in the final year of a two-year, $15 million deal. Fedde now will hit the open market, and while he wasn't the best, he could find a new home. MORE MLB NEWS: Padres make Dylan Cease, Michael King trade deadline decisions Padres 'don't match up' with Red Sox in trade for All-Star MVP Tigers 'make a lot of sense' in trade for $275 million All-Star third baseman Tigers expected to aggressively pursue impact closer at trade deadline Astros named a 'strong trade fit' for Braves three-time All-Star silver slugger MLB insider reveals Guardians' trade demands for Steven Kwan
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cardinals provide update following Lars Nootbaar exit from Nationals game
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar exited Thursday's game against the Washington Nationals in the seventh inning due to rib discomfort, causing concern among fans. However, the Cardinals quickly addressed the situation, with manager Oli Marmol describing the move as precautionary. MORE: Major League Baseball announces incredible Tigers' Casey Mize news Advertisement According to Marmol, Nootbaar felt soreness in his rib cage during the game and was removed to avoid aggravating the issue. The team is optimistic he'll be ready to return to the lineup as early as Friday. Nootbaar is currently in his fifth big-league season with the Cardinals, having worked his way up from an eighth-round draft pick in 2018 to becoming a strong contributor in the outfield. His breakout campaign came in 2023, when he hit .261 with 14 homers and 46 RBIs, showing off both power and on-base ability. A Slower Start in 2025, But Power Numbers Climb Through 86 games in 2025, Nootbaar is hitting .230 with a .721 OPS. While his overall numbers are down compared to past seasons, he's already hit 12 home runs and driven in 37 runs. At this pace, he's likely to set new career highs in both categories by the end of the season. Advertisement The 27-year-old still has two years of team control left through arbitration and isn't eligible for free agency until 2028. That gives the Cardinals plenty of flexibility with his future, especially if he rebounds at the plate in the second half. Nootbaar's Health Is Key for Cardinals Playoff Push With St. Louis sitting at 50-44, just one game back of a National League Wild Card spot and 5.5 games behind the division-leading Cubs, every game matters from here on out. The Cardinals have been hit with injuries, such as Ivan Herrera, Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman throughout the year, and losing another starter, even briefly, would hurt. Nootbaar's return to full strength will be critical for the Cardinals as they aim to stay in the playoff picture. His ability to get on base, work counts, and deliver clutch hits gives the lineup balance, especially as the team find in a tight division race. Advertisement For now, it looks like Nootbaar avoided anything serious, but the Cardinals will keep a close eye on him moving forward. Fans can expect to see him back on the field soon, barring any setbacks. St. Louis hosts the Atlanta Braves this weekend before the All-Star break. MORE MLB NEWS:
New York Times
11-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Cardinals takeaways: Miles Mikolas bounces back in pivotal series win over Nationals
ST. LOUIS — Miles Mikolas' second pitch of the game was a fastball down the middle, which Washington Nationals leadoff hitter CJ Abrams pummeled for a double. Quickly, Mikolas snapped into focus. 'I can't be doing this again,' he muttered to himself. Fresh off one of his worst starts of the year, where he allowed a franchise-record six home runs against the Chicago Cubs, Mikolas posted a dominant performance in Thursday's rubber match, propelling the St. Louis Cardinals to an 8-1 win to take the series. Advertisement 'Miles did a really nice job,' manager Oli Marmol said. 'We needed him to have a bounce-back type of outing, and that's exactly what he did.' The Cardinals did indeed need an outing like Thursday's, all-around. Mikolas departed with a 2-0 lead in the top of the sixth before the offense exploded for five more runs in the home half of the frame. Seven players drove in runs, including Alec Burleson with two RBIs and Willson Contreras with a homer in the seventh. The Cardinals picked up their 50th win of the season, sitting 5 1/2 games out of the division and one game out of the National League wild card. 'Going into the All-Star break feeling good is important,' Mikolas said, acknowledging how important Thursday's start was for his confidence. 'We're in the race a little bit. We have a tough second half. But it feels good to have a good one before the break for sure.' The Cardinals will round out the first half with a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves. How they play entering the second half will likely dictate the decisions for John Mozeliak, the president of baseball operations, at the trade deadline. There is plenty for the club to figure out before then. Let's take a look at three key storylines heading into the All-Star break. Crushed by Contreras! 💣 — St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) July 11, 2025 Mikolas did not make excuses after his disastrous start in Chicago, where he allowed eight earned runs on 10 hits over six innings, though he had an idea of what went wrong. Seven of those eight runs occurred in the first three innings. Mikolas referenced making an adjustment, but declined to elaborate. Mikolas said he did not want to come across as making excuses, but believed he identified the issue. The adjustment? Mikolas was tipping his pitches, Marmol revealed. Advertisement '(Mikolas) is a pro,' Marmol said. 'You can shoot him straight, you can tell him exactly what you need to say, and he handles it really well. The majority of the (conversations this week) was with (pitching coach) Dusty Blake, just cleaning up some tipping and making sure that were going into this outing feeling good about that.' Mikolas fired 50 of his 71 pitches for strikes, allowing two hits, no walks and six strikeouts. He retired 13 straight after his leadoff double to Abrams, and departed in the sixth to a standing ovation from the home crowd. 'Something had to change,' Mikolas said. 'I've got to be better. I've got to be better with scouting work, and be better in the game with adjustments. You have to make adjustments in real time. It's the major leagues. 'My job as a starter is to keep us in the game as long as I can, whatever that looks like. Being able to do that today, keep those runs off the board — it was a tight game early — let the offense get cranking, it felt good.' A scoreless outing with six strikeouts for Miles Mikolas! — St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) July 11, 2025 Mikolas certainly wasn't the only starting pitcher facing the heat lately. After days of deliberation, the Cardinals decided Erick Fedde will take his next scheduled start Saturday against the Braves, despite allowing 17 earned runs over his last three starts (nine innings). Michael McGreevy will remain in Triple A, even though he is now eligible to be recalled from the minors. 'We're gonna give (Fedde) another shot at it,' Marmol said. 'There are other variables that play into this other than just performance.' Fedde has struggled immensely over the last few weeks and was not able to finish the second inning in his latest start. But the decision to keep him in the rotation comes from above Marmol. The Cardinals are still straddling the fence as buyers or sellers at the deadline. Fedde is in the final year of his contract, and though his current performance has not been good, no position is coveted more at the deadline than starting pitching. He's a player the Cardinals could deal regardless of direction. By not pitching Fedde, the team tanks his potential value. Advertisement The obvious counterargument is that Fedde's current performance has already hurt his value. He owns a 6.54 ERA over his last seven starts. However, the Cardinals figure they have a better shot at increasing his trade value rather than shelving him altogether, and they are prepared to give him at least one more go. 'My hope is that we can get on the other side of what his last couple of outings have looked like,' Marmol said. Offensive help is on the way, as Iván Herrera (Grade-2 hamstring strain) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Memphis on Thursday. He went 1-for-3 with a single as the designated hitter, and is scheduled to play in at least three more rehab games. Because of the break in scheduling — Triple-A and Double-A affiliates hold their All-Star breaks at the same time MLB does — there is some consideration as to whether Herrera will need more live at-bats before re-joining the team. The team will see how his body feels after his first two rehab games before deciding how to proceed. When Herrera returns, his time behind the plate will be limited. Herrera has already had two lower-half injuries this season, and the Cardinals want to preserve his health as they head into what could be a playoff push. 'We definitely have to keep that in mind as far as if we want to keep him healthy for the remaining couple of months,' Marmol said. 'If you want to finish off the year with him healthy, you have to be mindful of his lower half.' St. Louis will happily take Herrera back as soon as possible. As the club looks for a more consistent offense, Herrera's bat — he was hitting .320 with a .925 OPS before his injury — will be a welcome addition. The ideal target date would be for Herrera to kick off the second half on Friday, July 18, at the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cardinals Announce Lars Nootbaar News After Leaving Nationals Game Early
Cardinals Announce Lars Nootbaar News After Leaving Nationals Game Early originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Outfielder Lars Nootbaar is in his fifth major-league season as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. Advertisement Nootbaar was selected in the eighth round of the 2018 MLB Draft and rose up through the minors to make his big-league debut in 2021. Since then, Nootbaar has established himself as an everyday role player, with his best season coming in 2023. In that age-25 campaign, he batted .261 with a .784 OPS, smashing 14 home runs and producing 46 RBIs. The Japanese outfielder has two years left of arbitration before he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2028. St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Lars Nootbaar (21)© Jeff Curry-Imagn Images On Thursday, Nootbaar left the Cardinals' game against the Washington Nationals early in the seventh inning due to a rib cage injury. The Cardinals announced via manager Oli Marmol postgame that the move was precautionary, citing soreness in Nootbaar's rib cage, and confirmed that he is expected to return to the lineup tomorrow. Advertisement St. Louis currently sits at 50-44, one game out of the third National League wild-card spot, making every matchup critical. The Cardinals also sit 5.5 games back of the NL Central-leading Chicago Cubs as they chase their first division title since 2022. Nootbaar's availability to contribute will be especially important down the stretch. In 2025, over 85 games, he is batting .229 with a .718 OPS, while hitting twelve home runs and driving in 37 runs. Although his OPS is at the lowest mark of his career, he is on pace to surpass his career-high totals of 14 homers and 46 RBIs. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
07-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Erick Fedde falters again in ‘ugly' loss to Cubs as Cardinals debate rotation changes
CHICAGO — Oli Marmol did not hesitate after Erick Fedde issued back-to-back walks in the top of the second inning. Ball four to Ian Happ was a sweeper outside to load the bases, and the St. Louis Cardinals manager had seen enough. He knew before the game his starting pitcher would have a short leash, and with a rested bullpen and a scheduled off day on Monday, Marmol did not hesitate to give Fedde the hook. Advertisement It wouldn't matter. The Chicago Cubs scored twice off reliever John King in the second inning, exploded for five more in the third and routed the Cardinals 11-0 in front of a national audience. St. Louis (48-43) posted its sixth shutout defeat in its last 11 games and fell to 6 1/2 games back in the division, though it is just one game out of the wild-card picture. Still, it's hard to discuss playoff pictures after a performance like that. The Cubs score 5 runs in the third inning 🤯 📺 Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN — ESPN (@espn) July 7, 2025 Fedde faced 10 total batters and failed to finish the second inning Sunday night, allowing three earned runs on two hits. He walked as many batters (four) as outs recorded and did not strike out a batter for the second straight start. He's given up 16 earned runs over 10 innings in his last three outings. The Cardinals have lost those games by a collective score of 26-0. 'Obviously, it's pretty ugly,' Fedde said. The Cardinals have worked feverishly to identify the reasons behind Fedde's dramatic decline. His expected numbers in April and May suggested a drop-off could be coming, but not to this degree. 'My sinker is not running, which is really killing me,' Fedde said. 'My cutter is moving, in my opinion, a little too much. I need to clean up the mechanics to hopefully get back to those shapes that I like. 'I'm throwing a lot of balls. When I am throwing strikes, they're being hit well. It's a difficult situation to navigate. Maybe in a sense, I'm thinking too much about outside things, about my mechanics, about tipping, about holding runners. I'm just not focusing on making a quality pitch right then and there. That's something that's inexcusable and I have to be better about.' RBI? on the board 😏 — Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) July 6, 2025 Fedde's next start is scheduled for Saturday against the Atlanta Braves at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals have not yet made a decision as to whether he will take it. 'We'll use (Monday) to take a step back and figure out what that looks like,' Marmol said. '(Fedde) has to find a solution to what's going on and make an adjustment in order to get through an outing successfully. Continuing to go down this road doesn't seem like it's beneficial at the moment.' Advertisement The obvious solution? Bring up Michael McGreevy, who is eligible to be recalled from Triple A on July 10, and has shown in his limited sample sizes that he's more than capable of handling big-league pitching. When asked Friday afternoon about McGreevy, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak agreed the right-hander should be with the big-league club and acknowledged the situation was not ideal. 'When he's pitched in the big leagues, every time he's got the ball he's pitched really well,' Mozeliak said. 'Thankfully he's a very patient, good guy. He's tolerating this.' But the Cardinals shouldn't tolerate games like Sunday any longer. Their initial decision to start McGreevy in Memphis made sense from an organization-wide lens. The system's pitching depth was scarce outside of McGreevy, if not non-existent, and the club was right to protect it — especially early in the season where pitching injuries are most prevalent. But the season has surpassed its official halfway mark. Six games remain before the All-Star break. After three months of surprisingly good baseball, the Cardinals are in danger of spiraling out right as contending teams should be making a push. Mozeliak has already stated that how his team plays in July will dictate his course at the trade deadline. It's not an exaggeration to say the Cardinals' season hinges on their performance over the next three weeks. Depth remains a concern, and it's an organization's responsibility to ensure it has enough protection. It's also an organization's responsibility to ensure the team is set up to win. The rotation is not currently structured to do that. Fedde is not the only starter whose status should be in question. Miles Mikolas, who gave up a franchise-record six home runs in Friday's 11-3 loss, owns a 5.26 ERA. He allowed 19 earned runs and 34 hits over 26 innings in June. His next start is scheduled for July 10 at home against the Washington Nationals, so McGreevy could be a candidate for that as well. But if the Cardinals are going to skip one pitcher's start, it seems most likely to be Fedde based on current performance. Advertisement It's also no guarantee St. Louis will take that course, though all signs suggest it should. It's a unanimous decision, from the front office to the coaches to the player development staff, that McGreevy has nothing left to prove in the minor leagues and should be with the big-league club. And yet, he isn't. '(McGreevy) is a major-league pitcher, there's just not a spot open,' Mozeliak said. If only someone had the ability to change that.
