Naughton injures elbow three pitches into Triple-A start
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Packy Naughton grabbed his left elbow after throwing three pitches in a Triple-A outing on Wednesday, signaling another arm injury during his MLB comeback attempt. The 29-year-old fired a 1-1 pitch wide of the strike zone to the Charlotte Knights batter before reacting in pain, bending over and walking off the field with a trainer. Knights broadcaster Matt Swierad noted on the air, "That’s never a good sign."
Naughton tore his flexor tendon in 2023 after four scoreless MLB relief appearances, sidelining him for the season. During 2024 rehabilitation, he re-tore the flexor tendon and damaged his ulnar collateral ligament, leading to Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
He signed a two-year minor league contract with the Cardinals at the end of 2024, with the team eyeing him for their 2026 bullpen. Naughton posted a 1.29 ERA over seven spring training appearances this year. Across three MLB seasons—one with the Los Angeles Angels and two with St. Louis—he appeared in 37 games with a 0-6 record, 4.98 ERA, one save and 59.2 innings pitched.
The Cardinals had anticipated Naughton's return to their major league roster this season after his strong spring showing.
