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ST LOUIS, MISSOURI – JUNE 5: Hunter Dobbins #40 of the St. Louis Cardinals delivers a pitch against the Cincinnati Reds in the fifth inning at Busch Stadium on June 5, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
The St. Louis Cardinals recently announced that they’ll be shifting to a six-man rotation from this point forward. Derrick Goold reports.
This comes after Hunter Dobbins’ recent success in a bulk innings role.
Dobbins, 26, was acquired in the Willson Contreras trade with the Boston Red Sox. This season, the right-hander has flashed high-90s velo, a split-finger with good depth, and an effective sweeper. His above-average arsenal has him at a 2.77 ERA through his first 13 innings pitched.
The rest of the Cardinals‘ rotation has been fairly mediocre. St. Louis’ starters rank 12th in ERA, 17th in innings pitched, and 25th in strikeouts.
Dobbins is sure to provide more quality innings for the otherwise average Cardinal rotation.
Fans are interested in President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom’s new approach.
Reactions to the Cardinals Roster Shakeup
Here’s what people are saying:
Jeff Jones : “Hunter Dobbins’ next appearance will be in the big leagues as a starter, Marmol said this morning. They’ll slot him after the off day and run a six-man rotation for at least one turn.”
STL Sports Central : “The #STLCards are moving RHP Hunter Dobbins to a starting role as they shift to a 6-man rotation, @dgoold reports. Dobbins has been excellent as a long reliever, posting a 1.04 ERA in two appearances (8.2 IP).”
RedBird Gal : “I would replace Leahy, but maybe this is an intermediate step.”
Jason Hogan : “Terrible move. Leave him as the long reliever since Leahy and Libby can’t pitch more than 5 innings.”
Brenden Schaeffer : “Marmol detailed that the plan for Dobbins all along was the two relief outings he had the past week, followed by a big league start. He will slot into the rotation for a start at some point soon, date TBA. Cardinals are impressed with how he handled these relief assignments.”
Derrick Goold : “How bullpen role kept Hunter Dobbins ready to join six-man rotation: Cardinals Extra.”
Cardinals Dude : “The word today is Dobbins will be injected into the rotation soon, as Oli wants to go with a 6-man rotation for a little while.”
The Cardinals As of Late
The Cardinals are 5-5 in their last ten games.
On June sixth, St. Louis secured a comeback victory, defeating the Reds and winning a series against their division rival–sending them below .500.
Jose Fermin recorded a three-hit affair, and recently reinstated outfielder Lars Nootbaar hit the game-winning homer .
Riley O’Brien escaped by the skin of his teeth to lock down a save. He narrowly missed a game-tying walk with the bases loaded via a catcher’s ABS challenge by Jimmy Crooks that turned a ball into a strike–eventually leading to a Sal Stewart groundout.
For the cherry on top, Jordan Walker tied his career high in home runs with his 16th blast on the young season–a 3-2 pitch he inside-outed to right center field.
With so many things going their way, the one area of the team that seems to be lagging is the rotation. Matthew Liberatore gave up five runs in today’s contest, and the night before, Kyle Leahy surrendered three in the first inning .
Dobbins will look to provide not only stability and an extra day of rest, but also quality innings.
AJ Stone AJ Stone is a baseball writer for Heavy, covering MLB news and various trends. His work has also appeared on Redbird Rants, Inside Halos, District on Deck, and other digital outlets. With a focus on analytics, he aims to blend data with storytelling for an engaging experience for his readers. More about AJ Stone
