The St. Louis Cardinals’ remarkable run of rotation health finally came to an end Friday when right-hander Andre Pallante was placed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation.
Pallante became the first Cardinals starting pitcher to land on the IL because of an arm injury in 23 months. Sonny Gray was the previous one in September 2024, when St. Louis shut him down as a precaution after falling out of playoff contention.
The Cardinals received some encouraging news on Pallante, as testing showed no structural damage, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. His IL stint was made retroactive to Tuesday, and the club expects him to miss close to the minimum amount of time. Right-hander Ryan Fernandez was recalled from Triple-A Memphis in the corresponding roster move.
The timing interrupts a strong rebound season for Pallante. The 27-year-old is 12-6 with a 3.57 ERA across 24 starts after struggling to a 6-15 record and 5.31 ERA in 2025. His 12 victories rank among the National League leaders.
Pallante last pitched Monday at Cincinnati, allowing 10 hits and four runs over six innings. He threw 88 pitches before exiting.
St. Louis’ unusual rotation stability took another hit hours after Pallante went on the IL. Hunter Dobbins departed the 7-6, 10-inning loss to Philadelphia on Friday with right forearm tightness after throwing one pitch in the fifth inning. The Cardinals placed Dobbins on the 15-day IL Saturday and recalled left-hander Quinn Mathews, who will step into the rotation and start Saturday.
The injuries come as St. Louis is still fighting for a National League wild-card berth. The Cardinals entered the weekend 66-64 and 3 1/2 games out of the final playoff position.
Pallante has spent his entire professional career in the organization since St. Louis selected him in the fourth round of the 2019 draft.
