The St. Louis Cardinals are promoting left-handed pitching prospect Quinn Mathews to start Saturday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, according to official team announcements and MLB.
com.
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Mathews, 25, has posted a 3.13 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP, and 111 strikeouts over 92 innings across 19 starts for Triple-A Memphis this season, per NBC Sports and MLB Trade Rumors.
In his final 10 starts, he recorded a 1.59 ERA, finishing his minor league stint on July 24 by striking out 10 batters over seven scoreless innings.
Rapid Rise Through the Minors
Drafted in the fourth round in 2023 out of Stanford, Mathews advanced through four minor league levels in 2024, earning Minor League Pitching Prospect of the Year honors with a 2.76 ERA and 202 strikeouts in 143 1/3 innings.
His progress stalled briefly in 2025 due to a left shoulder injury that sidelined him for six weeks, leading to command struggles and an elevated 16.8 percent walk rate across 99 innings.
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Although Mathews reduced his walk rate to 9.9 percent over nine starts since June, his overall Triple-A walk rate remained high at 14 percent, according to MLB Trade Rumors.
Because he is not currently on the 40-man roster, St. Louis will need to clear a spot before his start.
The promotion comes as St. Louis evaluates its rotation options amidst trade discussions surrounding impending free agent Dustin May, according to MLB Trade Rumors.
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The Cardinals shifted May's scheduled start to Tuesday to avoid pitching him on the August 3 trade deadline, creating potential long-term rotation opportunities for Mathews alongside young starters Andre Pallante, Kyle Leahy, Michael McGreevy, and Matthew Liberatore.
