Ryan Gusto (0-2, 6.00 ERA) takes the ball for Miami in what is essentially a roster-patching assignment — recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville to cover a rotation that has been decimated by injuries all season. Across the diamond, Andre Pallante (9-4, 3.59 ERA) has been one of the more consistent starters in the National League this year, coming off a 6-inning, 1-earned-run performance against Arizona last Sunday. First pitch is at 6:15 PM CT.
Miami has won 4 of its last 5, including a sweep of Texas before making the trip to St. Louis. The Cardinals, meanwhile, just dropped 2 of 3 to Arizona — capped by a 9-4 beatdown in which Matthew Liberatore surrendered 6 runs in the 4th inning alone — then got blanked 4-0 by Meyer on Friday. St. Louis is still clinging to an NL Wild Card spot at 42-37, but the rotation has been a mess in June and the offense has gone quiet at exactly the wrong moments.
The Cardinals' rotation picture got worse Saturday when it was reported that Dustin May would skip his turn due to a back issue. That matters because May had been pitching well — he threw a 1-hitter against San Diego earlier in June and had been one of the healthier parts of the staff. Losing him for any stretch of time is real depth damage. On the Miami side, the rotation is already operating as a MASH unit: Thomas White is done for the year with a shoulder injury, Robby Snelling had UCL surgery, and Adam Mazur, Janson Junk, Ronny Henriquez, and Andrew Nardi are all out. That list is why Gusto is on the mound tonight.
- Day-To-DayThomas White SP — White was diagnosed with a left shoulder capsular sprain Friday and is expected to miss the rest of the season, Isaac Azout of FishOnFirst.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILLiam Hicks C — Hicks is awaiting MRI results on his injured lower back, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports.
- 15-Day-ILJanson Junk SP — Junk (shin) threw a pitch-design session Friday and could be cleared to face hitters in live batting practice during the upcoming week, MLB.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILJosh Ekness RP — Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said Monday that Ekness is expected to miss approximately six weeks due to a right calf strain, Kyle Sielaff of Marlins.tv reports.
- 60-Day-ILAndrew Nardi RP — The Marlins transferred Nardi (ribcage) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Monday.
- 60-Day-ILRobby Snelling SP — Snelling underwent internal brace surgery Friday to repair a torn UCL in his left elbow.
- 60-Day-ILRonny Henriquez RP — The Marlins placed Henriquez (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.
- 60-Day-ILAdam Mazur SP — The Marlins placed Mazur (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday.
- Day-To-DayDustin May SP — The Cardinals will skip May's (back) turn in the rotation Saturday against Miami, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
- Day-To-DaySem Robberse SP — Robberse (elbow) has been sent to the Cardinals' Florida Complex League affiliate to begin a rehab assignment.
- Day-To-DayPacky Naughton RP — Naughton will undergo surgery next month to repair the damaged UCL in his left elbow, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
- Day-To-DayVictor Santos RP — The Red Sox traded Santos (undisclosed) and Nick Robertson to the Cardinals on Friday in exchange for Tyler O'Neill (foot), Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.
- Day-To-DayIxan Henderson SP — Henderson (elbow) is starting the season on the 60-day injured list at Triple-A Memphis.
- Day-To-DayZack Thompson RP — The Cardinals reassigned Thompson (shoulder) to minor-league camp Monday.
- 15-Day-ILRyan Fernandez RP — Fernandez (back) is on track to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Memphis on Friday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
- 60-Day-ILRamon Urias 3B — Urias (elbow) returned to St. Louis to undergo an examination on his left elbow, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Miami's momentum is legitimate. The Marlins have been the hottest team in baseball through much of June, and Dillon Head has been slashing .314/.417/.608 with 11 stolen bases this month to anchor the offense. Pallante is the real obstacle — he limits damage through a ground-ball approach and has been routinely doing it all season long. The Cardinals need him to go deep and their lineup to do some early damage against a Gusto who has the strikeout stuff but hasn't been able to hold leads at the major league level. If this game gets to the late innings with St. Louis trailing, Miami has the bullpen and the momentum to close it out.