St. Louis Cardinals fans will be pleased with the results from right-hander Jack Flaherty‘s first spring training outing.
The club’s former ace has dealt with more than his fair share of injuries over the past few seasons, but enjoyed a strong return last September.
St. Louis chose not to add another starting pitcher this offseason, instead placing their faith in Flaherty.
So far, that faith has been rewarded.
Flaherty is back and healthy and had a solid outing on Monday against the defending World Series champion Houston Astros.
The 27-year-old went three innings and allowed just one run on a solo home run by David Hensley.
That was the only hit the right-hander allowed, and he also struck out five batters.
John Denton of MLB.com tweeted Flaherty’s final line.
Final line for #STLCards RHP Jack Flaherty: 3 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 5 K. Flaherty threw 47 pitches, 28 of them for strikes.
LHP Steven Matz is on now in relief of Flaherty and he retired three #Astros in order in the top of the fourth inning.
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) March 6, 2023
This is good news for the Cardinals.
Flaherty had a strong outing against a solid lineup and gave the Cardinals everything they were looking for.
St. Louis is counting on a big season for the young right-hander, who missed significant time in 2022.
But the hope for the Cardinals is that he can return to his 2019 form and help anchor a starting rotation that badly needs a frontline starter.
Flaherty could prove to be that piece for St. Louis.
He went 2-1 in nine appearances and eight starts last season, posting a 4.25 ERA.
If Flaherty can stay healthy and repeat his performance from today, then the Cardinals rotation will take on an entirely different look and could compete with some of the top teams in the National League.
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