Earlier in the 2023 season, the St. Louis Cardinals were forced to move Steven Matz to the bullpen after posting a 5.72 ERA to start the year.
Matz ended up pitching quite well in relief for the Cardinals, so much so that manager Oli Marmol decided to put him back in the rotation.
Since returning to the rotation on July 9th, Matz has been a completely different pitcher, and is pitching like the durable starter the Cardinals were hoping for when they signed him back in 2021.
On Saturday, Matz continued his impressive streak, pitching six innings and allowing just one run against the Colorado Rockies.
On Twitter, Cardinals analyst Brandon Kiley listed Matz’s numbers since his return to the rotation.
Steven Matz since his return to the rotation:
6 GS
32.2 IP
23 H
6 ER
33 K
7 BBHe has 3-straight quality starts. His season ERA is down to 3.91. #STLCards
— Brandon Kiley (@BKSportsTalk) August 6, 2023
The veteran left-hander has started six games since returning to the rotation for St. Louis.
In those starts, he has pitched 32.2 innings while allowing just 23 hits, six earned runs, and seven walks while recording 33 strikeouts.
His ERA in those starts sits at 1.65.
With his dominance on Saturday night, he lowered his ERA to 3.91 on the season.
With Jordan Montgomery now gone, the Cardinals left-hander has the best ERA of any Cardinals starter.
He also helped St. Louis snap a two-game losing streak.
Clearly, Matz rediscovered his form after he was moved to the bullpen, and since returning to the rotation, he has been the Cardinals’ best pitcher.
St. Louis signed him after the 2021 season to a four-year, $44 million deal.
He dealt with injuries last season, but has become a steady force in the Cards rotation this year.
NEXT: Adam Wainwright Gets Brutally Honest After His Recent Outing
