Cardinals' Riley O'Brien: Aims to add muscle over offseason
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O'Brien said recently that he wants to put on "as much muscle as I can" this offseason in order to help his body absorb the toll of the 2027 season, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
O'Brien finished tied for the National League lead with 38 saves this season, but he faded after the All-Star break, posting a 5.11 ERA, 1.54 WHIP and 25:16 K:BB over 24.2 innings while blowing four of 18 save chances. The 31-year-old also saw his velocity dip in the second half, as he averaged 97 mph with his four-seamer after averaging 98.2 mph with the pitch in the first half. As things stand right now, O'Brien is the clear favorite to open next season as the Cardinals' closer again.
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Cardinals' Tai Peete: Lost 25 pounds during season
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Peete revealed recently that he lost "about 25 pounds" because of an illness he developed during the season, Aiden Stepansky of MLB.com reports.
All told, Peete wound up missing around two-and-a-half months of the season due to illness and also a concussion. He's healthy now, having homered in his second plate appearance in the Arizona Fall League. Peete admits that "it was a grind" getting through the season at less than 100 percent, which makes his performance all the more impressive. In 66 games in 2026 split mostly between High-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield, Peete slashed .296/.359/.549 with 13 home runs and 16 stolen bases.
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Cardinals' Brandon Clarke: Undergoes minor elbow surgery
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Clarke recently underwent surgery to remove a loose body from his left elbow.
Clarke had been slated to play in the Arizona Fall League, but he'll have to rehab instead. The southpaw is expected to be recovered in time to pitch in instructional camp in January. It's the second surgery in less than a year for Clarke, who had an operation in January to address an aneurysm in his left arm. In between those two procedures, the lefty held a 3.34 ERA and 44:17 K:BB over 29.2 innings across four minor-league stops, showcasing his electric stuff but also his control issues.
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Cardinals' Brian Curley: Traded to Cardinals
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The Diamondbacks traded Curley to the Cardinals on Thursday.
Curley will become the player to be named later in the trade that sent Lars Nootbaar to Arizona at the deadline in August. Curley, 23, split his time between High-A and Double-A in 2026 and posted a 5.35 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 130:34 K:BB across 116 innings between the two levels. He'll presumably remain at Double-A upon joining his new organization, though he'll likely need to show drastic improvement in 2027 before he moves up to Triple-A.
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Cardinals' Rainiel Rodriguez: Could get some reps at third base
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Rodriguez has worked out at third base and will "continue to see time there as they look to expand his versatility," Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom noted Monday that the team has a "long-term vacancy" at third base. Goold writes that Rodriguez still projects as a catcher, but the team is open to adding third base to his list of positions along with catcher and first base as it looks to increase versatility. Rodriguez -- who will not turn 20 until January -- has emerged as one of the best prospects in baseball, having slashed .324/.413/.574 with 27 home runs, 87 RBI, 11 steals and a 60:101 BB:K over 115 games between High-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield in 2026. He'll likely begin the 2027 season at Triple-A Memphis and could reach the majors before the end of the season.
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Cardinals' Richard Fitts: Expected to be ready for spring
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Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said Monday that Fitts (lat) is on track to be ready at the start of spring training but will have his workload monitored, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Fitts underwent right lat surgery in April after getting hurt while pitching at Triple-A Memphis. It's unclear where Fitts currently is in the rehab process, but Bloom said the righty is "hellbent on being part of this picture from the jump" next season. Assuming health, Fitts will be in the mix for a rotation spot next season. However, after all the time off there's a good chance he'll begin the campaign back at Memphis.
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Cardinals' Jordan Walker: Lingering hip pain down stretch
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Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said Monday that Walker was playing through some hip pain and other discomfort late in the season, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
The lingering hip issue could at least partly explain Walker's fade in September, as he slashed just .172/.232/.287 in the final month. The good news is the Cardinals do not expect the injury to linger into the offseason, as Walker has simply been prescribed rest. It was a breakout 2026 campaign for the 24-year-old outfielder, with Walker sporting a .269/.327/.466 batting line with 29 home runs, 102 RBI and 22 stolen bases.
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Cardinals' Chase Hampton: Claimed off waivers by Cardinals
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The Cardinals claimed Hampton off waivers from the Nationals on Monday.
Hampton was one of the Yankees' best pitching prospects a few years ago, but he missed all of 2025 following Tommy John surgery and struggled in 2026 upon returning, logging an 8.18 ERA and 56:34 K:BB over 55 innings across three levels in the minors. The 25-year-old has yet to advance past the Double-A level.
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Cardinals' Leo Bernal: Lifts fifth homer
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Bernal went 1-for-2 with a three-run home run and two walks in Sunday's 6-4 loss to the Brewers.
Bernal showed plenty of promise over his 24 games in the majors to close out the campaign. He hit .284 with an .807 OPS, five homers, 21 RBI, 12 runs scored and three doubles while seeing time at catcher, first base and designated hitter. Bernal is expected to be the Cardinals' catcher of the future, and his first sample of work in the majors is an encouraging sign of what kind of production he can provide.
Pallante (12-9) allowed six runs on 10 hits and a walk while striking out four over five innings to take the loss versus the Brewers on Sunday.
Pallante didn't catch much of a break as the Brewers had most of their top hitters active for the regular-season finale. September saw Pallante produce more mixed results, allowing 17 runs (15 earned) over 26 innings across five starts. He ends the campaign at a 3.83 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 110:50 K:BB through 162 innings over 29 starts. Pallante has made himself a stable but unexciting option at the back end of the Cardinals' rotation over the last few years.
Torres is absent from the lineup for Sunday's contest in Milwaukee.
Torres started in left field five of the previous six times the Cardinals have faced a righty, but he'll begin Sunday's finale on the bench. Jose Fermin will patrol left field for St. Louis.
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Cardinals' Alec Burleson: Sitting for Game 162
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Burleson is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers.
Major League Baseball's RBI leader with 116, Burleson will give way to Leo Bernal at first base against Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski to close the campaign. Burleson turned out to be a tremendous draft-day value in 2026, though his days of flying under the radar are likely over.
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Cardinals' JJ Wetherholt: Taking seat for finale
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Wetherholt is not in the lineup for Sunday's game in Milwaukee.
Wetherholt will grab a seat for Sunday's regular-season finale while Cesar Prieto covers second base. Assuming he does not appear off the bench Sunday, Wetherholt will finish his rookie season with a .242/.339/.365 batting line, 17 home runs, 14 stolen bases and a 64:104 BB:K.
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Cardinals' Jordan Walker: Making first start in leadoff spot
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Walker will make his first career start in the leadoff spot Sunday against the Brewers, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Walker has primarily hit third or fourth for St. Louis in 2026, but the Cardinals will move him to the leadoff spot for the season finale, which should get the outfielder an extra at-bat or two as he tries to reach an even 30 homers for the year. The 24-year-old has put together a fantastic season overall, though he's regressed sharply to .238/.291/.379 since the All-Star break.
Cardinals' Quinn Mathews: Ends 2026 season with loss
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Mathews (2-4) took the loss against the Brewers on Saturday, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out seven across five innings.
Mathews was handed an early 2-0 lead, but he gave up an RBI single to Jackson Chourio in the third before yielding a two-run homer to Brice Turang in the fifth in what turned out to be the game-winning runs for the Brewers. Saturday was the fourth time in nine major-league starts that Mathews fanned at least seven batters, and the 25-year-old southpaw showed he could handle himself in the big leagues since making his MLB debut Aug. 1. He'll end the 2026 campaign with a 3.83 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 46:20 K:BB over 49.1 innings.
Cardinals' Thomas Saggese: Late addition to lineup
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Saggese will start at shortstop and bat eighth Saturday against the Brewers, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Saggese was originally in line to sit out Saturday's contest, but he'll be forced back into the starting nine as Masyn Winn moves to the bench with a sore thumb. Saggese is on track to end the season on a sour note after going 0-for-20 with 10 strikeouts across his last six games.
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