St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray dominated the Houston Astros on Monday, hurling seven shutout frames in an 8-3 victory. Gray allowed just three hits and a walk while punching out four, earning his third win of the season in the process. Gray moves to 3-0 with a 3.13 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, and 23 strikeouts in 23 IP after this one. When the righty is on his game, he can be one of the better pitchers in the league, and he is proving that again early in the season. Gray is absolutely a must-start option in fantasy right now, but could be considered a sell-high given his inconsistencies and injury history.

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Sonny Gray (illness) is making the Opening Day start on Thursday against the visiting Minnesota Twins at Busch Stadium. Gray dealt with flu-like symptoms at the end of spring training that sapped him of his strength, so there was some concern that the Cardinals might push his first start of the season back. That won't be the case, although fantasy managers should be very hesitant to throw him into their starting lineups right away after he showed diminished velocity and was hit around in Grapefruit League action. The 35-year-old veteran allowed 20 earned runs on 23 hits (eight homers allowed) while walking six and striking out 17 in 14 1/3 innings over his four starts. At least in DFS lineups, the safe play would be to avoid Gray as he works to get his strength back following a bout with the flu recently.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold reports that St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Sonny Gray (illness) has been dealing with a flu-like illness that has sapped him of his strength and left him not feeling great. However, Gray said he felt better on Monday. A report surfaced recently that the 35-year-old veteran's velocity has been down this spring, which could be explained by his illness. Either way, it's something to watch with Gray after he got a late start on his offseason throwing program. Gray is scheduled to start on Opening Day this Thursday against the visiting Minnesota Twins, but even if he's cleared to toe the rubber to open the year, fantasy managers may want to consider benching him if he's not quite at full strength. In 14 1/3 innings over four Grapefruit League starts, Gray allowed a whopping 20 earned runs on 23 hits (eight homers) while walking six and fanning 17.

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Sonny Gray (forearm) admitted that he received a pain-killing injection in the flexor tendon of his right forearm late last season -- he ended the year on the injured list -- and the injury delayed his offseason program. Gray said the injury hasn't been an issue during spring training, but the delay in his throwing program could explain his diminished velocity in Grapefruit League games. The 35-year-old veteran has really struggled in spring games, allowing 18 earned runs on 21 hits (seven homers) while walking six and striking out 14 in 11 1/3 innings over four starts. Gray's velocity was down nearly two mph in his Grapefruit League start against the Houston Astros, which should be a cause for concern for the Cards and fantasy managers alike. If his velocity doesn't rebound, it's unlikely he'll have a strikeout rate north of 30% like he had in 2024. It's something to keep a close eye on.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray will get the nod on Opening Day against the Minnesota Twins. Gray enjoyed a strong debut season in St. Louis last summer and will operate as the top man in the rotation in 2025. Last season, Gray logged 166 1/3 innings to the tune of a 3.84 ERA with a 1.09 WHIP. He tallied an impressive 203 strikeouts and served up just 39 walks. His strikeouts were the fourth-most in the National League. He generated a solid 3.67 xERA with a .237 xBA which placed him in the 63rd and 53rd percentiles respectively. In addition, the 35-year-old generated whiffs at an elite 29.8 percent rate. Gray's sweeper (second-most used pitch) is his primary put-away pitch as it generated an elite 44.8 percent whiff rate. Facing the Twins, Gray will be viewed as a solid option in DFS given his strikeout upside.

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Sonny Gray (forearm) is expected to have a regular offseason after he ended the 2024 regular season on the 15-day injured list due to right-forearm flexor tendinitis. The injury only caused Gray to miss his final start of the year. The 34-year-old veteran and three-time All-Star finished his first season with the Cardinals with a 13-9 record, 3.84 ERA (3.12 FIP), a 1.09 WHIP and a 203:39 K:BB in 166 1/3 innings over his 28 starts. It was only the second time in Gray's career that he had 200-plus strikeouts. He was the runner-up for the American League Cy Young in 2023 while pitching with the Minnesota Twins, but he improved to a 30.3% strikeout rate and a career-best 5.8% walk rate in St. Louis. Gray has above-average control, but fantasy managers shouldn't be banking on another 30% strikeout rate in 2025.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray (forearm) was placed on the 15-day IL on Saturday with right forearm flexor tendinitis, officially ending his 2024 season. Gray stated that he received an MRI yesterday and that, "things are fine," however the decision to place him on the IL revolved more around the fact that the Cardinals' season is essentially over with them being eliminated from playoff contention. As part of the move, the Cardinals recalled RHP Kyle Leahy from Triple-A Memphis. Leahy has spent a bit of time at the major league level with the Cardinals this season, pitching in 47 innings and posting a 4.02 ERA. Fantasy managers in need of relief pitching help to finish the season may want to look his way. As for Gray, Cardinals fans and fantasy managers alike will have to wait for 2025 to see the 34-year-old pitch again.

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Sonny Gray's (undisclosed) final start of the 2024 season is in jeopardy after he said he pitched through "lingering" soreness during his last start on Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, when he allowed four earned runs on nine hits while walking none and striking out eight in 5 2/3 innings for a no-decision. It's unclear where exactly Gray's soreness is, but it puts his final start in jeopardy next week. We won't know for sure whether the 34-year-old will make his final start until after he attempts to throw a bullpen session this weekend. If Gray feels better during his bullpen session this weekend, his final start of the year would come next week at hitter-friendly Coors Field against the last-place Colorado Rockies. Gray hasn't been nearly as good as he was last year in Minnesota in his first year in St. Louis, posting a 3.84 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with 203 K's in 28 starts.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray struck out nine batters en route to earning his 13th win of the 2024 season on Thursday afternoon. Gray allowed just two hits, two free passes and one earned run. Gray did not allow baserunners through the first five innings. However, he allowed four baserunners in the sixth but was able to escape the jam by allowing just one run to cross home plate. Entering this start, the 34-year-old held a stellar 1.38 ERA and 0.62 WHIP across his past two outings. Gray has looked comfortable in his first season in St. Louis as he sits with an overall 3.75 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and a 39:195 BB:K ratio across 160 2/3 innings of work.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray fell to 11-7 in Monday's 6-1 loss to the Reds. Gray pitched five innings, allowing six runs on five hits (including three home runs) and two walks with nine strikeouts. He has racked up strikeouts all season long with an 11.16 K/9 rate in his 130 2/3 innings of work. However, everything else has been a tale of two halves, with Gray's second half yielding poor results. Homers have been a particular issue, as he has allowed nine HR in five second-half starts to go with a bloated 5.81 ERA. This has been frustrating for fantasy managers, as his first half was quite strong. Gray's next start could be a very tough matchup against the Dodgers. If he does draw the start, fantasy managers may consider benching him.

St. Louis Cardinals ace Sonny Gray (11-6) struck out six batters while only allowing two runs over seven innings pitched in a 4-3 win against Tampa Bay. This is Gray's second consecutive start where he pitched seven innings and allowed only two runs. Before that, he was not pitching very well. In the four starts in July, he was (1-1) with a 6.75 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in 24 frames. These two strong outings may mark a turning point in Grays's up-and-down season. His command has been sharper, and he is giving up much less hard contact. It seems like he can finish the season off strong and make Cardinals fans (and fantasy managers) happy. Gray will look to keep things rolling in his next start on Monday against the Cincinnati Reds.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray had a terrific start against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday, going seven innings while allowing just two runs on five hits. He struck out nine and walked only one. Unfortunately for Gray, Ryan Helsley had a rare bad outing and blew the win. Nevertheless, it was a much-needed performance for the 34-year-old, who had a rough 6.75 ERA in July. His overall numbers this year still look good, with a 3.72 ERA and 1.09 WHIP to go with 147 strikeouts in 118 IP. He is still a must-start pitcher in almost all formats.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray will take the mound for Friday's series opener at Truist Park against the hosting Atlanta Braves as the second half gets underway. The 34-year-old three-time All-Star has been St. Louis' clear-cut ace in his first year with the team, logging a 3.34 ERA (2.56 FIP) and 1.05 WHIP along with a sparkling 121:24 K:BB covering 17 starts (99 2/3 innings). The matchup with Atlanta isn't as imposing as it once was, considering the Braves are scoring just 3.8 runs per game in 46 outings with Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) out of the lineup this season. Despite Gray's dicey 5.09 ERA and 1.30 WHIP over seven appearances on the road this year, he'll be a fine fantasy play in all settings on Friday's slate.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray was fantastic on the mound during Sunday's outing against the San Francisco Giants. The right-hander allowed one run on one hit over seven innings of work in the victory. Gray also struck over eight batters and walked no one during this start. The only mistake Gray made was giving up a solo home run to Patrick Bailey in the seventh inning. Gray has looked like a great signing for St. Louis as he'll take a 2.81 ERA into his next start against the Cincinnati Reds.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray (8-4) picked up a quality start in a no-decision Monday night, fanning four batters while allowing four runs on five hits and two walks in an extra-inning victory over the Miami Marlins. Gray continues to flourish with his new team to the tune of a 2.95 ERA and 1.02 WHIP on the season, to go along with 95 strikeouts in 76 1/3 innings pitched. Last season, Gray finished with 183 strikeouts in 184 innings pitched, but so far in 2024, Gray is racking up the strikeouts with about 20 more than innings pitched. Fantasy managers should feel great with Gray moving forward, especially with a matchup against the San Francisco Giants coming up this weekend.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray generated a solid outing in Wednesday's victory over the division-rival Pittsburgh Pirates, posting a quality start in his eighth win of the season. Gray fanned nine Pirates over seven innings of one-run ball on Wednesday, and it was the second time he lasted at least seven frames this year. The 34-year-old star right-hander has been his usual reliable self during his debut season in St. Louis, taking a 3.01 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 91:20 K:BB over 68 2/3 innings for the Cardinals into his next scheduled start on the road against the last-place Miami Marlins on Monday. Fantasy managers who got a bit of an injury discount back when he was hurt during draft season have to be loving the returns during the first half of the year, with Gray striking out batters at the highest clip of his career while keeping his control intact.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray tossed five shutout innings on Sunday Night Baseball and allowed just one hit and two free passes to lead St. Louis to a series sweep. He struck out eight. This dominant outing brings Gray to a stellar 2.60 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, and 67:12 K:BB ratio through his first nine starts with his new club. Gray's underlying metrics are quite strong, suggesting that the 34-year-old could be in for a nice summer. He currently holds a 34.1% hard-hit rate and 32.4% K rate, which place him in the top 79th percentile and 93rd percentile, respectively. Gray should continue to be started in all formats and will usually be a solid choice in DFS formats.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray improved to 6-2 in Monday's 6-3 win over the Orioles. Gray pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on three hits (including a three-run home run) and two walks with six strikeouts. He cruised through the first five innings but labored in the six, throwing over 30 pitches before motioning to manager Oli Marmol to be removed. Gray elaborated after the game, explaining that he was simply tired after getting so deep into the inning. The 34-year-old has been a fantasy stud with his new team and now owns a 2.87 ERA and 11.30 K/9 rate in eight starts and 47 IP. He will look to keep things rolling in his next projected start, which will be a decent matchup against the Cubs.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray posted another strong outing on Monday versus his former team, the Oakland Athletics. Gray went six scoreless innings and allowed four hits with no walks and six strikeouts. Gray missed the beginning of the season with a hamstring injury, but he has not missed a beat in his two starts this season with 11 scoreless innings, no walks and 11 strikeouts. Gray will eventually walk a batter this season, but managers could not have asked for a better start to the season then what Gray has given them. Moving forward, Gray is lined up to face the division rival Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Sonny Graywill be limited to 75 pitches in Monday's start against the Oakland A's. Gray spent a large portion of spring training dealing with a hamstring issue that limited him to just two starts, so it makes sense why the Cardinals are gradually increasing the veteran's pitch count. In his first start of the year against the Philadelphia Phillies on April 9, he threw 64 pitches across five shutout innings. Now, St. Louis has set his limit at around 75 pitches in his second start. The pitch limit shouldn't worry fantasy managers, though. If you roster the 34-year-old in fantasy, you should be starting him in a plus matchup against Oakland.