Starting pitching depth for the St. Louis Cardinals took a notable hit on Friday as one of the club’s offseason trade additions has been taken out of action for the remainder of the season.
Richard Fitts, a 26-year-old right-hander who was acquired by the Cardinals over the winter in the trade of Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox, is out for the year after undergoing surgery to repair the right lat strain that had landed Fitts on the Minor League 7-day injured list with Triple-A Memphis.
President of baseball operations Chaim Bloom shared the news with STL Today reporter Daniel Guerrero on Friday in Houston, Guerrero later reported the news to his Twitter account.
Richard Fitts had season-ending surgery to address the lat strain that recently landed him on the injured list, #STLCards president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said here in Houston.
— Daniel Guerrero (@TheDanGuerrero) April 17, 2026
Bloom said in the long-term Fitt should recover fine but will be out for 2026.
Fitts had been performing well with the Memphis Redbirds, posting a 1.76 ERA in three Triple-A starts. Ostensibly the next man up for an opportunity to join the rotation in St. Louis before this unfortunate injury news, Fitts will now have to wait until 2027 to make an impact on his new team.
That likely leaves Hunter Dobbins as next in line to serve as starting pitching depth for the Cardinals, should the need arise. Dobbins is currently on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Memphis as he continues his return from ACL surgery in 2025.
Through three starts in Triple-A, Dobbins has posted a 2.93 ERA with 14 strikeouts across 15.1 innings.