6 Cardinals who should be regulars down the stretch

The St. Louis Cardinals are in desperate need of star performances. The output from their expected stars -- Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, and even Sonny Gray -- hasn't been optimal, and the team as a whole has felt those effects.

Additionally, role players like Nolan Gorman and Lars Nootbaar haven't been performing to the level that was expected of them either. Due to lackluster performances from key players, others have had to step up and fill the void. These are players who should continue to play regularly or pitch often regardless of matchups.

The Cardinals are in desperate need of a run to end the season. They're now two games below .500, and they're slowly fading in the playoff picture. Several players need to step up to help the team make the push. More importantly, however, the front office and coaching staff have to trust these players to go out and perform each day. If Oliver Marmol -- or the front office members -- choose to sit these players or boot them out of their current roles, the Cardinals could be watching the playoffs from home once again.

LHP Matthew Liberatore

For the last three seasons, left-handed pitcher Matthew Liberatore has been yo-yoed between the rotation, the bullpen, and the minor leagues. The team has tried him in a variety of roles throughout his professional career, but he's found a home as a reliever this year.

In 43 appearances (67.1 innings), Libby has a 4.54 ERA, 4.02 FIP, and he's struck out 21.5% of the batters he's faced. Those numbers are a bit misleading, as they're inflated due to his six starts this year.

As a reliever, Liberatore has thrown 44.2 innings with a 3.63 ERA. Opposing batters have a slash line of .224/.287/.329 against him in relief appearances, and his 1.12 WHIP as a reliever is significantly lower than his WHIP as a starter; don't be fooled by Liberatore's overall stats.

With Ryan Fernandez and Andrew Kittredge struggling out of the bullpen lately, Liberatore's ascendance in relief appearances has been necessary. He is able to pitch multiple innings, and he's been excellent against left-handed batters. His slider generates whiffs at a 41.8% rate, and it has a 31.6% K rate. Libby's deep arsenal has been baffling hitters all year, and he should continue to be utilized in high-leverage situations as a reliever.