Willson Contreras Deal Ripples as Hunter Dobbins Set to Open Season on Injured List
willson contreras is now directly tied to the St. Louis Cardinals’ first major pitching decision of the season, with right-hander Hunter Dobbins set to begin the year on the injured list. Cardinals manager Oli Marmol told reporters on Tuesday at 11: 10 a. m. ET that Dobbins is still rehabbing from the ACL tear he suffered last July. The move immediately tightens the rotation picture in St. Louis as spring competition shifts toward filling the final open starting spot.
Dobbins’ status: arm strength up, fielding still behind
Marmol’s update centered on Dobbins’ current stage of recovery: he has been able to build up his arm strength during Spring Training, but he is not yet fully built up in terms of fielding. Dan Guerrero, a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, noted that Dobbins spent most of camp throwing live bullpens before appearing in a backfields game on Monday at 3: 25 p. m. ET, his first in-game action of the spring.
Guerrero added that Dobbins was held back from covering first base during that appearance as the club continues a cautious progression on the defensive side. There was no specific return date given Tuesday, and the Cardinals have not announced a detailed timeline for when Dobbins will be ready to re-enter rotation consideration.
Rotation battle narrows as candidates separate
With Dobbins sidelined, the Cardinals’ rotation decisions look less crowded at the top. The club has four pitchers who “figure” to occupy four of the five starting spots to open the year: Dustin May, Matthew Liberatore, Andre Pallante, and Michael McGreevy. That leaves one remaining opening that is expected to come down to Richard Fitts or Kyle Leahy while Dobbins remains unavailable.
In a separate update shared by Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Dobbins’ throwing progress has come “in controlled settings and not in competition for a rotation spot, ” underscoring why the club is treating the final job as a two-man fight for now. The larger group of competitors cited in camp discussions has included Quinn Mathews and Tink Hence, but Hence does not appear ready for a big league debut with zero Triple-A starts on his resume and is on a reliever’s program this spring.
Immediate reactions: Marmol, Goold, and what they’re signaling
“Hunter Dobbins will begin the season on the injured list, ” Marmol said Tuesday at 11: 10 a. m. ET, making the club’s position clear as Opening Day nears.
Goold’s note on the situation emphasized the nature of Dobbins’ workload: the right-hander continues to advance on his throwing program, but his innings have been limited to controlled environments rather than a full spring ramp-up against competition.
For the Cardinals, the message is straightforward: there is progress, but not enough yet for the demands of early-season starting duty, especially given the missing fielding component that remains part of Dobbins’ rehab.
Quick context on why this matters for willson contreras
Dobbins was described as a key piece of the return in the willson contreras trade this offseason, and the Cardinals brought him in to help fill out what was characterized as a thin pitching staff. Dobbins made his big league debut with Boston last year and logged 13 appearances (11 starts), posting a 4. 13 ERA in 61 innings, with a 3. 87 FIP.
What’s next: roster decisions and the wait for a clearer timeline
The immediate next step is the Cardinals’ final call on the fifth rotation spot, with Fitts and Leahy positioned as the primary options as camp continues. Beyond that, the club’s focus turns to Dobbins’ ongoing fielding progression after his first spring game action Monday, and whether his rehab pace allows him to re-enter the picture sooner rather than later.
For now, the early-season plan is being written without him—and that reality traces back to the offseason transaction that reshaped this roster, the willson contreras deal, which made Dobbins’ availability a storyline the Cardinals cannot avoid as the season opens.
