Fans of the St. Louis Cardinals who were upset that the team did not acquire a starting pitcher this offseason can potentially breathe a sigh of relief.
The Cards have banked heavily on right-hander Jack Flaherty returning to his old form.
So far, things are looking pretty good for the young right-hander.
As pitchers and catchers filed into the Cards spring training complex, so too did media members, who got the chance to see what certain players were up to on this day.
John Denton of MLB.com got a chance to see Flaherty’s first bullpen session of the spring and posted a clip of it on Twitter, which will have Cards fans pleased.
Here’s what it feels like to (almost) be in the box and facing #STLCards RHP Jack Flaherty. Fully healthy for the first time since midseason in 2021, Flaherty is hoping for a big season before hitting free agency. pic.twitter.com/F12B4huwOk
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) February 13, 2023
Flaherty missed a good chunk of the 2021 season dealing with oblique and shoulder troubles.
The oblique had healed, but his shoulder continued to plague him, limiting him to nine appearances and eight starts in 2022.
But upon his return in September of last year, he looked more like the ace he had been in 2019.
His final start of the season came on September 30.
In that game, the young righty went six innings and allowed just one run.
A healthy Flaherty would be a big boost for the Cardinals and could alleviate the need to pursue other starting pitchers, as well as give St. Louis the ace they so desperately need in the rotation.
The health of the 27-year-old is the X-factor for a team that is looking to make a deeper run into October after three consecutive Wild Card exits.
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