Jack Flaherty (shoulder strain) returned to the Cardinals rotation in the role of an "opener" for the second game of their doubleheader against the Cubs on Friday. However, he recorded only one out and gave up two runs before being removed from the game.
Fantasy Impact
The plan was for Flaherty to only throw 10-20 pitches, so he was only going to pitch an inning at most. However, after striking out Rafael Ortega, he surrendered a single, a home run, and a walk before the Cardinals pulled the plug after 19 pitches. The Cardinals ace will attempt to stretch out a little more over the final week of the season in hopes of being a contributor in the postseason.