DETROIT — A day after getting what the Cardinals want to find more of for him (appearances) but not enough of what they need from him (outs), Giovanny Gallegos spent time with assistant pitching coach Julio Rangel discussing where and how he could make changes.
Gallegos detailed the list.
“I think it’s all of my stuff,†the right-handed reliever said. “I’m trying to make some adjustments on my fastball, my slider, my windup and especially my mind.â€
The Cardinals’ stalwart setup man and sometimes closer, Gallegos faced four batters in Tuesday’s doubleheader, allowed four runs and did not retire a batter. It was the first time this season he appeared without recording an out, but it was also the fifth consecutive time he pitched less than an inning. As other relievers have seized on late-inning roles, Gallegos has struggled to find a foothold in the new-look bullpen, just as the Cardinals had not found consistent innings for the right-hander.
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His appearance in the second game of Tuesday’s doubleheader was only his second in 10 days. That’s prompted the Cardinals to suggest one solution for the pitcher who has thrown in more games than any other Cardinal since 2019 — to, well, throw more often.
“He’s a strike-thrower, and he hasn’t pitched a whole lot,†manager Oliver Marmol said. “So it just hasn’t looked as sharp as far as being able to land the slider and expand when he wants to locate the fastball. He’s pitched once in a week, so you’re looking at his overall sharpness is not there. You have to be able to get him out there.â€
It’s quite the shift from a team that couldn’t get him out there enough.
Since becoming a fixture in the Cardinals bullpen, Gallegos appeared in 268 games from 2019 through 2023. No other pitcher in the majors appeared as much for one team in that span. This season, he’s appeared in 12 games, thrown nine innings and allowed nine runs along with seven walks. Four of the 11 hits he’s allowed have been home runs. The workload isn’t the only thing to change on him. A lot has been thrown at him as he hastened his approach on the mound to satisfy the new pitch clock, and Gallegos also had to adjust some of his delivery and windup to avoid tipping his slider.
Marmol said neither shift is a “contributor†to his current results.
He and Gallegos agreed it’s about the reliever’s “confidence.â€
“It’s my first time feeling that situation,†Gallegos said. “I’m working, trying to be better every day right now. I made some adjustments on my confidence and my stuff, too.â€
The regular use and heightened assignments allowed Gallegos to establish a routine as he readied for appearance after appearance. That routine, more than results, became his wellspring of confidence. He could rely on it and a knack for throwing strikes through even the most volatile of results a reliever encounters. The routine also kept him available for more than 50 appearances in each of the past four full seasons.
After Wednesday’s game, Gallegos spoke about establishing a routine that fits a different role in the bullpen, one less tethered to late innings and leads and also less consistent. That was part of his conversation with Rangel on Wednesday. That and, he said, the best source of confidence.
“Throw strikes,†Gallegos said, smiling.
Matz to have MRI
Lefty Steven Matz will undergo exams and an MRI scan Thursday to help determine the cause and severity of the lower back soreness he attempted to pitch through Tuesday night against the Tigers. Matz and the Cardinals said he experienced some discomfort and “tightening†in his back following his start this past week, though he and the team felt confident enough in how he felt Tuesday to have him start the evening game of a doubleheader at Comerica Park.
Matz allowed four runs on seven hits and did not complete the fourth inning, but more alarming was a dip in his velocity, down 3 mph from his season average.
His swiftest fastball Tuesday was lower than his season average of 94 mph.
“Velo(city) was down. Location was bad,†Matz said late Tuesday night after the Cardinals’ 11-6 loss that split the doubleheader. “Not a recipe for success. ... Wasn’t crisp out there.â€
Matz notified the team Wednesday morning that the back remained stiff the day after his start, though team officials cautioned that’s to be expected after pitching. Any decision on his availability for his next start will be made following Thursday’s exams. The Cardinals have the option of moving Kyle Gibson’s start up a day and keeping him on a standard five-day turn. That would buy Matz an additional day of rest before a start next week at Busch Stadium.
Ownership stake stays in family
The family of Donna “DeDe†Lambert will retain her share of Cardinals ownership, a team executive has confirmed to the Post-Dispatch. One of the founding members of the current ownership group, Lambert (nee DeWitt) joined her brother Bill DeWitt Jr. and others in the purchase of the club from Anheuser-Busch in 1996.
Along with her father Bill DeWitt Sr. and brother she was a part of the family that has had more than 100 years of involvement in professional baseball in St. Louis.
A long-standing and studious fan of the club, Lambert often kept score at games.
Lambert died April 6 after a lengthy illness. She is survived by three sons and their families, including five grandchildren.
Her nephew, Cardinals president Bill DeWitt III, said her family prepared for the transfer of shares and would “maintain their position†in the team’s ownership.
Rom heads toward surgery
Drew Rom (biceps tendinitis) is likely to have shoulder surgery in the near future after going to Texas for a consultation with a specialist. The lefty had his rehab stalled in recent weeks by persisting discomfort and weakness. Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said the details of the treatment are still being finalized but surgery is expected.
Rom was added to the 60-day injured list this week suggesting the club expects an extended absence for the lefty who positioned himself to be a spot starter for the Cardinals early in the season.
Molina, etc.
Mozeliak said he’s been in conversation recently with catcher Yadier Molina, who will be involved in some way with the club this season as a special adviser. Molina did not attend spring training as originally invited so that he could remain in Puerto Rico and tend to family matters. The Cardinals hope Molina will spend some time this summer working with the team’s young catchers at various spots in the organization.
- Matt Carpenter (oblique strain) will join Class AA Springfield (Missouri) in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to begin his rehab assignment. The plan is for him to get at-bats at designated hitter and also several starts at first base so he can get his timing up to game speed before returning to the majors and the bench role he’s had this season.
- Dylan Carlson (separated shoulder) walked twice and struck out once Tuesday night in Charlotte in the first game of his rehab assignment with Class AAA Memphis. He started in center field Wednesday and went 0 for 3.
- Victor Scott II replaced Carlson in center field and hit his first home run of the season to help drive the Triple-A Redbirds to a 7-3 victory in Charlotte. Scott went 2 for 2 with two RBIs.
