The Cardinals positioned pitching prospect Sem Robberse on the full-season injured listing within the minor leagues immediately. The membership introduced to reporters, together with Jeff Jones of the Belleville Information-Democrat, that the righty has undergone Tommy John surgical procedure. He’ll miss the rest of this season and a part of 2026 as effectively.
Robberse, now 23, was certainly one of two younger pitchers the Cardinals acquired from the Blue Jays within the 2023 deadline deal which despatched Jordan Hicks to Toronto. Robberse was set to be eligible within the Rule 5 draft a number of months later, however the Playing cards protected him by including him to their 40-man roster that November.
The younger Netherlands-born righty has typically been a serviceable starter within the minors. From 2021 to 2024, he tossed 414 1/3 innings, permitting 4.04 earned runs per 9. His 22.5% strikeout charge and eight.9% stroll charge in that span had been each pretty common numbers. He additionally received floor balls on near half of the balls in play he allowed.
This yr, he received out to a tough begin, posting a 7.36 ERA over 4 Triple-A outings. Nonetheless, that appears to have been largely dangerous luck. His .447 batting common on balls in play and 61.6% strand charge in that small pattern had been each to the unlucky facet. In the meantime, his 24.7% strikeout charge and 46.8% floor ball charge had been each robust numbers. His 10.4% stroll charge was on the excessive facet however not egregiously so.
Regardless, Robberse just isn’t going to get an opportunity to right these numbers, an unlucky blow for him and the group. It’s not an enormous deal within the brief time period. The St. Louis rotation is so wholesome proper now that Steven Matz has been bumped to the bullpen a number of instances, regardless of robust outcomes. Michael McGreevy is caught in Triple-A although he’s placing up good numbers there.
Nonetheless, depth can disappear quick and that is the second hit the Playing cards have taken in that division. Cooper Hjerpe, one of many membership’s high pitching prospects, required his personal Tommy John surgical procedure final month.
In the long run, this may cloud Robberse’s path to creating it to the majors. The Playing cards are slated to lose Matz, Miles Mikolas and Erick Fedde to free company this winter. That would go away them with a projected 2026 rotation of Sonny Grey, Andre Pallante and Matthew Liberatore, with two potential rotation spots open.
As a substitute of competing for a job within the beginning combine, Robberse will likely be rehabbing from his surgical procedure. He’s at the moment in his second of three choice years. Meaning 2026 may very well be his ultimate choice yr, if he sticks on the 40-man roster by means of the upcoming offseason. He most likely gained’t be absolutely wholesome till halfway by means of that 2026 season. The Playing cards might name him up and put him on the most important league 60-day IL sooner or later, in the event that they so select. Doing so would open a 40-man roster spot however it might additionally contain Robberse incomes main league pay and repair time.
Photograph courtesy of Jim Rassol, Imagn Photos
