Cardinals Key Hurler Could Be Out For Season With Surprise Injury

The St. Louis Cardinals have been a shell of their normal selves this season, missing the postseason by a large margin and having to sell off impact players at the deadline.

One of the lone bright spots for St. Louis following a heartbreaking trade deadline was the improved play of left-hander Steven Matz -- who has appeared to be a frontline starter as of late. Sadly even that storyline is over, or at least postponed until the final days of the season.

"Disappointing news from the Cardinals this afternoon. Steven Matz suffered a lat strain after his last start on Saturday and will be placed on the injured list," The Athletic's Katie Woo tweeted Monday. "The remainder of his season is in jeopardy."

Since rejoining the rotation on July 9, Matz has gone 4-0 with a 1.86 ERA, 38-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio and .190 batting average against in 38 2/3 innings across seven starts. 

The recent uptick in play has boosted his season tallies. The southpaw now has a 3.86 ERA, 98-to-32 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .263 batting average against and 1.33 WHIP in 105 innings this season. He has a 112 ERA+ after starting the season on a sour note.

Unfortunately, it appears that those numbers could be cemented for the season since it would be tough for Matz to be both shut down and ramped back up before season's end.

The veteran is signed through 2025 so it won't be the last time fans see Matz in a Cardinals uniform no matter how long the ailment lasts.