DIVISIONAL OUTLOOK: NL Central—Michael Wacha debuts

St. Louis Cardinals

Michael Wacha (RHP, STL) made his much-anticipated major league debut on Thursday, replacing the injured John Gast (LHP, STL) in the rotation. Wacha impressed in spring training and has been stellar in 9 starts at AAA-Memphis, with a 2.05 ERA and 34 strikeouts to 15 walks in 52.2 IP. Clearly, the length of his stay in St. Louis will depend upon his performance, but the Cardinals have indicated that the 21-year-old will be on an approximate 150 IP limit this season.  According to GM John Mozeliak, if Wacha remains in the majors he'd "probably receive approximately 22 starts. If you're doing five innings per start, it would probably work in terms of not putting in danger."

Gast was diagnosed with a strained left lat,...

Almost!

You’re just a few clicks away from accessing this feature and hundreds more throughout the year that have a singular goal in mind: Winning your league. Subscribe to BaseballHQ.com here!

Already a subscriber? Sign in here

More From PT Tomorrow

After an off year in 2025, the Braves are once again dominating, thanks in large part to excellent performances by the starting staff. Plus: 3B in MIA; IL updates at NYM; Crawford in PHI; Cavalli in WAS; more.
May 26 2026 10:10am
As Caleb Durbin sports the worst OPS in baseball, his playing time is showing its first signs of diminishing. Plus, Bednar showing warts as NYY's closer, and more.
May 26 2026 3:05am
In addition to the Fernando Tatis conundrum, we take a close look at the playing time outlook for recent Giants' call-ups and turn our attention to a surprisingly impactful Arizona veteran SP.
May 23 2026 3:07am
A new injury on top of Kyle Teel's previous one may open up new opportunity for a White Sox catcher. Plus, paths to more playing time for Kyle Manzardo, injury returns in DET, SP depth in KC, and the struggles of Brooks Lee in MIN.
May 21 2026 3:05am

Tools