Matthew Liberatore Injury: Little concern after early exit

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said his concern level was "not high" after Liberatore exited Thursday's start versus the Royals due to fatigue, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The velocity on the southpaw's four-seamer dropped below 90 mph in the fifth inning, prompting a visit from Marmol and the trainer and the pitcher's eventual removal. However, Liberatore did not undergo imaging after the game and there doesn't appear to be any worry that he's injured. Rather, the pitcher believes mechanical issues were the main factor in him feeling fatigued. Liberatore has struggled in back-to-back starts and it's possible he's going through a "dead arm" phase after he spent the bulk of last season in a relief role. He's tentatively lined up to face the Blue Jays at home next week, but the date of his next start is not set in stone.