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<\/p>\nThe St. Louis Cardinals have turned to Hunter Dobbins as a permanent member of their starting rotation after trading veteran right-hander Dustin May to the Milwaukee Brewers before the MLB trade deadline.<\/p>\n
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With May no longer on the roster, Dobbins joins Matthew Liberatore, Michael McGreevy, Kyle Leahy, and Andre Pallante in the Cardinals’ five-man rotation, giving the 26-year-old his biggest opportunity since reaching the major leagues.<\/p>\n
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Dobbins has spent much of the season moving between Triple-A and St. Louis, filling a variety of roles whenever the Cardinals needed pitching help. Whether making spot starts or providing multiple innings out of the bullpen, he consistently delivered solid performances, compiling a respectable 3.74 ERA across seven appearances before receiving a full-time rotation assignment.<\/p>\n
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Manager Oliver Marmol praised Dobbins for embracing every challenge the club has given him, noting that the young right-hander has remained professional and dependable regardless of the role he has been asked to fill.<\/p>\n
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For Dobbins, the promotion is rewarding, but he believes nothing has been guaranteed. He emphasized that his focus has always been staying prepared whenever the Cardinals called upon him and earning the trust of his teammates and coaching staff through consistent performances.<\/p>\n
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The right-hander made a strong statement in his first start after the deadline, despite St. Louis falling 2-0 to the New York Yankees. Dobbins delivered his longest outing of the season, pitching 6\u2153 innings while allowing just two runs on four hits. He also walked three batters and struck out four, keeping the Cardinals in the game throughout the night.<\/p>\n
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His command and ability to change speeds drew praise from Yankees manager Aaron Boone, who credited Dobbins for keeping New York’s hitters off balance with an unpredictable approach.<\/p>\n
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The only damage against Dobbins came on solo home runs by Jazz Chisholm Jr. and highly regarded Yankees prospect George Lombard Jr, who celebrated his major league debut by hitting his first career home run.<\/p>\n
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Dobbins accepted responsibility for the two mistakes but acknowledged that both hitters capitalized on quality pitches. He also congratulated Lombard on his memorable first big-league hit while vowing to continue refining his execution.<\/p>\n
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One of the game’s defining moments came in the fourth inning when Dobbins escaped a bases-loaded threat after the Yankees placed runners on first and second with no outs. He stranded both runners, finishing the inning with a strikeout of Chisholm to preserve the Cardinals’ chances.<\/p>\n
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Although Dobbins now appears set to take the ball every fifth day, he insists he is treating every start as another audition. Rather than assuming his rotation spot is secure, the young pitcher remains focused on improving with each outing and proving he belongs in St. Louis for the long term.<\/p>\n
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