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St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Packy Naughton can’t get a break.
Naughton, 29, pitched in the Cardinals’ Triple-A affiliate on Wednesday and attempted an MLB comeback when he appeared to suffer another arm injury just three pitches into his latest outing.
Naughton fired a 1-1 pitch well out of the strike zone and immediately grabbed his left elbow. He took a few steps toward home plate before bending over in pain. He eventually walked off with a coach holding his left arm.
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Cardinals relief pitcher Packy Naughton pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, on April 2, 2023. (Jeff Curry/USA Today Sports)
“That’s never a good sign,” Charlotte Knights announcer Matt Swierad said during the broadcast. “Hopefully nothing too serious there, just something he was trying to be careful with.”
Naughton’s unfortunate run of arm injuries began in 2023 when he tore his flexor tendon after four scoreless appearances, forcing him to miss the rest of the season. In 2024, while rehabbing, Naughton tore his flexor tendon in addition to tearing the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his left elbow.
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St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Packy Naughton on the field in Jupiter, Florida on February 17, 2026. (Jim Rassol/Imagn Images)
He underwent Tommy John surgery to repair his UCL and missed both the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
Despite the injuries, Naughton signed a two-year minor league deal at the end of the 2024 season. The Cardinals knew he would rehab for all of 2025 and hoped he would be part of the team’s bullpen in 2026.
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St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Packy Naughton throws a pitch during a spring training game at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, Fla., on Feb. 14, 2026. (Sam Navarro/Imagn Images)
Naughton looked like he was on track to become a member of the bullpen in this year’s spring training, recording a 1.29 ERA over seven appearances.
Across three seasons, one with the Los Angeles Angels and two with the Cardinals, Naughton has appeared in 37 games, going 0-6 with a 4.98 ERA and one save in 59.2 innings.
