Aug 8, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol (37) and guest coach Yadier Molina (4) look on from the dugout before a game against the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Cardinals Manager Oli Marmol Addresses Matthew Liberatore Concerns

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Zach Pressnell | Last updated Aug 13, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals have been through a lot this year. Despite being four games out of a postseason spot, the Cardinals appear dead following the front office's decision to trade Phil Maton, Steven Matz, and Ryan Helsley at the trade deadline. In the long run, these will be good moves, but right now, it looks like the Cardinals gave up on a chance to make the postseason.

At this point, the only thing to cling onto is the younger players who are improving for next season. One of the most important building blocks on the roster is pitcher Matthew Liberatore, who looked like a potential ace early in the year.

Liberatore is transitioning from the bullpen to the starting rotation this year. In the past, he'd started games, but never more than 11 in a season. He's already made 22 starts for the Cardinals with a handful more likely to come down the stretch.

But this workload might be too much for him as it's already seeming to catch up to him.

Matthew Liberatore continues to struggle as Rockies blank Cardinals

Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Manager Oli Marmol recently addressed Liberatore's command and velocity, both aspects of his game that have gotten worse over time.

“We’re going to continue to closely monitor it,” Marmol said of Liberatore’s velocity and command Tuesday afternoon, per Katie Woo of The Athletic. “If it doesn’t make sense to continue to have him go because there’s a regression in his overall stuff, velocity, being able to hold it, then we’ll make a decision on it.

“He’s recovering well in between starts. He’s healthy and feeling strong. But it’s a matter of being able to maintain it during his start. If anything points to that not being the case, then we’ll make a decision.”

The lefty tallied four innings against the Colorado Rockies, surrendering three earned runs and dropping the game 3-0. These four innings brought his total to 117 innings on the season. His previous high was 86 innings last year.

At this point, the workload is likely too much for him to handle. Transitioning from the bullpen to the starting rotation is difficult because of the added stress on the body and arm. Liberatore has a 4.38 ERA in August and held a 6.57 ERA in July. He's trending in the wrong direction.

At this point, there's a chance the Cardinals shut him down and elevate one of their young prospects to take his place. Liberatore isn't bad. He just seems to be a bit tired and overworked for the year.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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