What’s next for Michael McGreevy after an encouraging spot start against Dodgers?

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ST. LOUIS — Oli Marmol was eager to see what Michael McGreevy, his spot starter for Sunday’s game, could do against the potent lineup of the reigning World Series champions.

A few hours before the St. Louis Cardinals took on the Los Angeles Dodgers in the series finale of a three-game set at Busch Stadium, Marmol was asked why he was excited to see McGreevy pitch and for the biggest challenge he thought the young right-hander would face.

“The lefties in the lineup,” Marmol said. “I’m excited to see some of these matchups because he’s worked hard at having a better understanding of how to attack left-handed hitters. This is as good a test as you can take.”

Yes, an opposing lineup that features lefty hitters like Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman certainly qualifies as a test, and McGreevy was tested from the jump. His first pitch resulted in a laser from Ohtani, who pummeled McGreevy’s sinker for a leadoff double with an exit velocity of 106.5 mph.

The hard contact continued. Of the first 11 batters McGreevy faced, eight registered exit velocities of 95 mph or more. The Dodgers led 3-0 after two innings.

But McGreevy made a series of in-game adjustments after the second inning. From the third inning on, he allowed just three hits while punching out five and walking zero, and the lone run allowed came via a 55 mph squibber down the third-base line from Tommy Edman. The quality of contact was much weaker, the whiff rate increased, and McGreevy was more effective, allowing him to grind through six innings on a day when the bullpen was short-handed.

Still, the Dodgers avoided a sweep by beating the Cardinals 7-3 with help from five shutout innings from Clayton Kershaw. But the Cardinals took the series, and McGreevy showed he could overcome adversity.

“I thought I made a good adjustment, was more on the attack, ” McGreevy said. “Not that I wasn’t to begin with, but I was more aggressive with the 0-0 pitch. … I think it was more of a mentality thing.”

“The (second inning) could have been a very, very big inning that snowballs and shortens his outing by a lot,” Marmol said. “But that’s kind of what I like about him the most: He doesn’t allow that to happen. He really does stay in the moment, especially for his level of experience. We played a good team, and for him not to get sped up at any moment, that was awesome to see.”

Masyn Winn with an RBI double to get us on the board in the 5th! pic.twitter.com/il74ukbJsK

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) June 8, 2025

McGreevy, the team’s first-round draft pick in 2021, settled for a final line of four earned runs and eight hits over six innings, but his ability to reset against one of the National League’s most potent lineups was the more encouraging factor. The Cardinals figure he’ll take at least one more start for them soon. The question is when.

St. Louis plans to take another full turn through its rotation, as there is minimal concern over Matthew Liberatore’s fatigue from his past start. Andre Pallante, Miles Mikolas and Liberatore are slated as the probable starters for the upcoming series against the Toronto Blue Jays. The Cardinals follow that with a four-game division showdown against the Milwaukee Brewers before a scheduled off day June 16 — their only off day between now and July 2.

Keeping the rotation rested and on a six-day schedule as much as possible has been a priority for the Cardinals as they look to keep their starters healthy. How can they continue doing that during this stretch? A straight six-man rotation does not look likely. A semi-six-man rotation (similar to what the team used in April) could be an option, but that’s also unlikely as it would require Steven Matz to revert to a hybrid role, which would deplete the bullpen and pull him from a role he’s been quite effective in.

Could the Cardinals use McGreevy in that role instead of Matz? They aren’t inclined to, for a multitude of reasons. Keeping McGreevy on a starter’s schedule remains a priority for the 24-year-old’s development path, and the Cardinals do not want to risk trimming their already slim pitching depth. Another factor to consider is that by using a six-man rotation, the Cardinals would have only seven relievers, which would leave them with a short bullpen at a time when off days are limited.

The most logical solution would be to continue spot-starting McGreevy when the schedule allows. Because of the off day next Monday, the Cardinals won’t need a spot starter next week. But they will need one to break up a block of 16 consecutive games after that, which makes that the most likely time for McGreevy to make his next start.

In a season designated to find out what the organization has in its young players, the Cardinals know McGreevy doesn’t have much left to prove in the minor leagues. They also know the disastrous state they would be in if one of their five regular starting pitchers gets injured. That’s why the club kept McGreevy as a depth piece in Memphis, though in an ideal world, it’d have him with the big-league club.

McGreevy wishes his situation were different, but he also understands it. So he has worked to change his mindset with some help from Triple-A manager Ben Johnson.

“It’s the side of the game that not many people know about,” McGreevy said. “I was having a great spring, but we already have a great starting rotation. It was one of those things that you just have to smile about. Like, ‘Dang, that stinks.’

“I felt like I needed to be perfect (in Memphis) at times. But I don’t want to be that freak-out guy. So I asked Johnson if he was ever in a similar spot and what his mentality was. He asked me if I thought I was good enough to be in the big leagues and if I’d had success in the big leagues. I said yes. Then he said, ‘Then it’s only a matter of time.’”

The business side will probably rear its head soon, as the Cardinals will look to replenish their bullpen before the next series. If McGreevy is optioned, it will most likely be a temporary solution. The club remains optimistic about McGreevy’s potential and wants to see as many major-league looks as possible when the scheduling allows.

When that does happen again, McGreevy will be ready.

“I’m at a good spot,” McGreevy said. “My stuff’s been good — physically I’ve been good, mentally I’ve been good. Making adjustments, pitch to pitch, separates guys and shows who wants to be a big leaguer. If you’re able to make that adjustment pitch to pitch, I think I’ll be able to stay.”

(Photo: Joe Puetz / Getty Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

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