The St. Louis Cardinals have officially entrusted Hunter Dobbins with a permanent place in their starting rotation following the departure of veteran right-hander Dustin May at the MLB trade deadline. With May traded to the Milwaukee Brewers, Dobbins now joins Matthew Liberatore, Michael McGreevy, Kyle Leahy, and Andre Pallante in a revamped five-man rotation as the Cardinals continue shaping their pitching staff for the remainder of the season.
The promotion represents a significant milestone for the 26-year-old right-hander, who spent much of the year moving between Triple-A and the major league roster. Instead of enjoying a consistent role, Dobbins frequently found himself being recalled for spot starts or long-relief appearances whenever the Cardinals needed additional pitching depth. Despite the uncertainty surrounding his assignments, he consistently delivered solid performances, compiling a respectable 3.74 ERA across seven appearances before finally securing a regular rotation opportunity.
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol praised Dobbins for embracing every challenge thrown his way throughout the season.
According to Marmol, the organization repeatedly asked the young pitcher to adapt to different responsibilities, whether starting games or providing multiple innings out of the bullpen. Each time, Dobbins responded professionally and proved capable of helping the club in whatever role was required.
Rather than viewing his previous assignments as frustrating, Dobbins remained focused on contributing whenever his name was called. He acknowledged that he is still earning his place in the majors and believes every opportunity is another chance to prove he belongs.
The right-hander explained that his goal has always been to stay prepared, support his teammates, and continue building trust inside the clubhouse. As he grows closer to his fellow players, he hopes to establish himself as a dependable member of the Cardinals’ pitching staff for years to come.
Just one day after May’s departure, Dobbins received an immediate opportunity to justify the club’s confidence by starting against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Although St. Louis suffered a 2-0 defeat, Dobbins turned in arguably his most impressive outing of the season.
He worked a season-high 6⅓ innings while allowing just two runs on four hits. The right-hander issued three walks, struck out four batters, and displayed excellent command of his fastball throughout the contest. His ability to attack hitters early forced the aggressive Yankees lineup into quick outs, helping him pitch deep into the game while navigating a lineup loaded with dangerous left-handed hitters.
Even Yankees manager Aaron Boone acknowledged Dobbins’ effectiveness after the game, crediting the Cardinals starter for keeping New York’s hitters off balance by mixing his pitches, changing speeds, and remaining unpredictable throughout the evening.
Despite the strong performance, Dobbins surrendered two costly home runs that accounted for all of the Yankees’ offense.
The first came in the second inning when Jazz Chisholm Jr. launched a solo home run after connecting with a well-located curveball. Later in the fifth inning, highly touted Yankees prospect George Lombard Jr. electrified the home crowd by crushing his first major league home run during his MLB debut. Lombard connected on an 0-2 sweeper, giving New York another run while creating a memorable career moment.
Lombard later explained that he recognized Dobbins’ pitch sequencing after seeing hard fastballs earlier in the at-bat. Expecting an off-speed pitch away, the rookie anticipated the location and capitalized when the sweeper stayed slightly elevated.
Rather than becoming discouraged, Dobbins credited both hitters for making outstanding swings.
He noted that Chisholm handled a quality curveball exactly as intended, while Lombard simply punished a mistake the way elite prospects often do. Dobbins congratulated the Yankees’ top prospect on recording his first major league hit and home run, while also recognizing that limiting those small mistakes will be essential if he wants to remain successful at the highest level.
One of the biggest highlights of Dobbins’ outing came during the fourth inning when he demonstrated impressive composure under pressure.
The Yankees placed runners on first and second with nobody out, threatening to break the game open. Instead of unraveling, Dobbins calmly worked through the inning, stranded both runners, and finished the threat by striking out Chisholm. His ability to escape the jam without allowing a run preserved the Cardinals’ chances and showcased the poise expected from a starting pitcher.
Marmol emphasized that escaping difficult situations in hostile road environments is an important step in a young pitcher’s development, adding that limiting damage during those moments often determines the outcome of games.
Although Dobbins now appears positioned to take the mound every fifth day, he has no intention of assuming his place in the rotation is guaranteed.
The young starter insists that every outing must be treated as another audition. He believes complacency can quickly end a major league career, so his focus remains on improving every day, earning the trust of the coaching staff, and proving he deserves to stay with the Cardinals for the long term.
Tarik Skubal’s long-awaited debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers generated enormous attention Tuesday night, but despite an encouraging individual performance, his new club continued its recent struggles with a 5-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
After becoming one of the most sought-after pitchers available before the MLB trade deadline, Skubal was acquired by the defending World Series champions as Los Angeles strengthened its rotation for another championship pursuit. Cubs fans, who had hoped their own team might land the All-Star left-hander, made their disappointment known immediately.
The hostile reception began well before first pitch as Skubal jogged to the visitors’ bullpen to warm up. Loud boos echoed throughout Wrigley Field during player introductions and only intensified when he took the mound wearing Dodger blue for the first time.
The emotional atmosphere, however, did little to affect the veteran left-hander.
Having already pitched in numerous high-pressure postseason road environments throughout his career, Skubal remained composed from the opening pitch. He later admitted that while the environment ranked among the loudest he has experienced, it was comparable to many playoff atmospheres he has previously handled.
Skubal started brilliantly by freezing Pete Crow-Armstrong with a blazing 99.1 mph sinker for his first strikeout as a Dodger. He retired the first six Cubs hitters in order, showcasing the electric stuff that made him one of baseball’s premier trade targets.
The Cubs finally broke through in the third inning.
Dansby Swanson led off the frame by launching a solo home run, giving Chicago an early lead. Pete Crow-Armstrong followed with a single before Seiya Suzuki drew Skubal’s first walk of the evening, but the left-hander limited further damage to keep Los Angeles within striking distance.
After responding with two flawless innings, Skubal encountered another difficult situation during the sixth.
Suzuki again reached base via walk before Alex Bregman doubled into the outfield, placing two runners in scoring position. Although Tommy Edman and catcher Ben Rortvedt combined to throw out Suzuki attempting to score, Nico Hoerner later bounced a high infield hit that allowed Bregman to cross home plate with what proved to be the decisive run.
Over six innings, Skubal surrendered only two runs on four hits while striking out six batters and walking two. He threw 85 pitches, including 51 strikes, and generally felt satisfied with the quality of his arsenal despite acknowledging room for improvement.
The left-hander admitted he would like to attack hitters more aggressively with first-pitch strikes, particularly as opposing lineups see him multiple times during a game. Still, he believed his pitch movement, velocity, and overall stuff met his usual expectations.
Cubs manager Craig Counsell praised his team’s disciplined approach against one of baseball’s elite pitchers, explaining that hitters often have to anticipate specific pitches and capitalize on limited scoring opportunities when facing someone with Skubal’s talent.
Following the stressful sixth inning, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts elected not to send Skubal back to the mound despite his relatively modest pitch count.
Roberts emphasized that protecting his newly acquired ace early in his Dodgers tenure was more important than squeezing out another inning. While he expects to push Skubal deeper into games later in the season, he felt Tuesday was the right moment to exercise caution.
Unfortunately for Los Angeles, the bullpen could not keep the game close.
Alex Vesia, Evan Phillips, and Edwin Díaz combined to surrender three additional runs over the final innings, allowing the Cubs to pull away and hand the Dodgers their fifth consecutive loss.
The defeat continued an unexpected slump for Los Angeles, which had entered the series after winning four straight series following the All-Star break before being swept by the Boston Red Sox. They have now dropped the opening two games against Chicago, extending their season’s longest losing streak.
Although Skubal provided exactly the type of quality start the Dodgers envisioned when they acquired him, it ultimately was not enough to halt the skid.
Manager Dave Roberts stressed that the club’s priority now is turning the page quickly, avoiding further frustration, and focusing entirely on winning the series finale as Los Angeles attempts to regain momentum for the stretch run.
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