Cardinals option Cooper Hjerpe for fresh arm after exciting start to MLB career

With just three games remaining in the 2026 season, the St. Louis Cardinals opted to option Cooper Hjerpe to Triple-A in exchange for a fresh arm this weekend in Milwaukee, ending what was a really fun debut season from the 2022 first-round pick.

In four appearances out of the Cardinals bullpen, Hjerpe posted a 4.38 ERA with 15 strikeouts in just 12.1 innings of work, piggybacking behind Kyle Leahy in an effort to keep Hjerpe on a starter's routine but with limited pitch counts as he returns from Tommy John surgery.

While those numbers may not seem all that flashy, his rough outing against the Chicago White Sox is what really blew up his ERA, as he allowed four runs in one inning of work, though he struck out all three batters he did retire. Hjerpe now enters the offseason with some big league experience under his belt, and he could very well be in the Cardinals rotation when they break camp next season.

Cooper Hjerpe flashed a ton of promise in first stint with Cardinals

Hjerpe, 25, has had his professional career start slower than anyone hoped due to injuries, but Hjerpe's promise has never been in question.

Sporting one of the most unique arm angles and release points in the sport, Hjerpe is able to dice through opposing lineups when his command is on, and even when it isn't his friend that day. Hjerpe seems to get into trouble when he's trying too hard to paint corners, rather than relying on his really good stuff.

Hjerpe has struck out the world as a professional, and sure, he may end up as a bullpen weapon moving forward, but the Cardinals would be foolish not to see what he's like as a starter, and it's a great sign that they did keep him on that path even when he debuted.

With Hjerpe only throwing over 50 innings this season, how they handle his workload in 2027 will be interesting to watch. If they try to increase his workload over time, like they are doing with Kyle Leahy, he doesn't really have the mileage necessary to throw anywhere near a starter's workload next season. But at this point, they probably just need to be a bit more aggressive with him.

Maybe they can find a way to be creative with his usage again in 2027, piggybacking starters and trying to have games where they have only two pitchers throw to help their bullpen out, with Hjerpe potentially receiving spot starts where the Cardinals could use a breather. There are a lot of options for how they can handle Hjerpe's progression.

But overall, it was an extremely fun experience watching Hjerpe and his epic MLB debut, where he spun four perfect innings with six strikeouts, shows you what kind of upside he has on the mound. He's one of the players I am most intrigued by seeing again in 2027, so hopefully we don't have a lockout to worry about.

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