Cardinals Suddenly Lose Richard Fitts for Entire 2026 Season

Feb 14, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Richard Fitts (35) plays catch during spring training at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Cardinals Suddenly Lose Richard Fitts for Entire 2026 Season

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated Apr 17, 2026 5:26 PM ET

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The St. Louis Cardinals got some seriously bad news on Friday.

Richard Fitts didn't make the Cardinals' big league club out of Spring Training. The righty flamethrower made three starts in Spring Training and had a 5.79 ERA across 9 1/3 innings pitched. While he didn't make the team out of camp, he flashed a big-time fastball and legit stuff in camp that was shown early in the season in Triple-A. He made three starts with Triple-A Memphis and had a 1.76 ERA across 15 1/3 innings pitched.

Earlier in the week, Fitts landed on the Injured List in a blow to the club's depth due to a right lat strain. When the news broke, there wasn't a clear indication of how serious the injury is. On Friday, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch broke the news on X that the injury was bad enough that Fitts underwent season-ending surgery to correct the lat strain.

Richard Fitts Is Done For The 2026 Season

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"Richard Fitts had season-ending surgery to address the lat strain that recently landed him on the injured list, Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said here in Houston," Guerrero wrote. "[Chaim Bloom] said in the long-term Fitt should recover fine but will be out for 2026."

This is just a brutal update for the young Cardinals. Fitts didn't make the club of camp, but he was acquired from the Boston Red Sox this past offseason for a reason. He's a 26-year-old with a 3.97 ERA in 15 total appearances in the big leagues in his career. If an injury were to pop up in the rotation, or St. Louis opted to move someone like Kyle Leahy to the bullpen, Fitts would've been first in line to make the jump to the majors. Now, the club's organizational depth is already being tested.

Fortunately, Hunter Dobbins is working his way back and has looked good down in Triple-A on a minor league rehab assignment. But this is a tough update for the club overall. St. Louis is giving its young guys chances to show what they can do in the big leagues. At some point, Fitts would've been a candidate to join the mix. But, unfortunately, Fitts won't be able to make an appearance for a club until the 2027 campaign.

When it was announced that the Cardinals had a lat strain, it wasn't known how bad it was. Going from heading to the IL to being done for the season has been quick. Now, it's all about how he recovers. For St. Louis, it also wouldn't hurt to add more depth down in the minors. For example, Nestor Cortes is available in free agency. If he would be willing to accept a minor league deal, it wouldn't hurt to bring him to town now.

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

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