St. Louis Cardinals to get Jack Flaherty back on Labor Day

The St. Louis Cardinals are set to get a major boost to their rotation in the coming days.

Jack Flaherty, who has been sidelined by shoulder issues this season, is set to return to the majors. According to Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat, Flaherty will have one more rehab outing on Wednesday before returning to St. Louis to make the start on Labor Day.

St. Louis Cardinals hope Jack Flaherty can provide boost

There was a time when Flaherty seemed destined to become their next staff ace. Back in 2019, he had posted a 2.75 ERA and a league leading 0.968 WHiP over his 196.1 innings, striking out 231 batters with just 55 walks. With that performance, he seemed to be the heir to Adam Wainwright as the Cardinals’ next star in their rotation.

However, injuries and the pandemic shortened 2020 campaign have kept Flaherty from recapturing that form. He has produced a solid 3.91 ERA and a 1.176 WHiP over his 126.2 innings since the start of the 2020 campaign, striking out 140 batters with 51 walks. Those numbers are certainly respectable, but they are not what the Cardinals would have expected.

There is still reason to hope that Flaherty can be that pitcher going forward. He is just 26 years old and has his entire prime ahead of him. The talent is still there. It is just a matter of his being able to stay healthy so that he can capture that potential once again.

Flaherty could also be the weapon that the Cardinals need. They have a solid trio in Wainwright, Miles Mikolas, and the surprising Jordan Montgomery heading into the postseason, but could use another starter they can count on. If Flaherty is healthy and can recapture his form from 2019, he could be that.

The St. Louis Cardinals are getting reinforcements soon. Jack Flaherty has one more rehab outing before he returns to the majors.