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His preparation put him on track to make two appearances in exhibition games and allowed him a seamless transition into the regular season, where he has proven to be a steady bullpen option for the Cardinals.

鈥淭he build up has felt very normal to me,鈥� Maton said on Saturday. 鈥淚 feel like my body is in really good shape right now. My legs feel really good, whereas in years past, aches and pains kind of start showing up at the lower half. Right now, everything is just feeling really smooth and easy.鈥�

Maton, 32, signed a one-year deal with the Cardinals on March 13, making him the club鈥檚 lone big-league free agent signee. Brought in as a right-handed relief option who could provide stability late in games and be a resource for younger players, Maton entered Saturday with a 3.00 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 18 innings. His eight holds had him tied for 10th in the National League and trailed Kyle Leahy (11) for the team lead.

Through April, Maton was second among Cardinals relievers in appearances with 12 but has pitched in five games and logged 4 1/3 innings since the start of May. Before appearing on Wednesday against the Tigers, the veteran righty had not pitched since May 14 against the Phillies.

鈥淚t鈥檚 always feast or famine in the (bullpen),鈥� Maton said. 鈥淚 know I started the year and I felt like I couldn鈥檛 get an off day, and then the last two weeks, I feel like it I had barely thrown. But that鈥檚 just kind of how it is as a reliever. It鈥檚 the ebbs and flows. Even with your workload, your performance, how you feel, it constantly changes throughout the year.鈥�

Said Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol: 鈥淲e probably, if I鈥檓 being honest, used him (Maton) more than I would have liked early based on him coming late, but we were really trusting his feedback of how he was feeling day-to-day when we were doing that,鈥� Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been good to kind of space it out as we鈥檝e gotten further into it.鈥�

While he was still a free agent as big-league camps began, Maton trained at a Driveline complex near his home in Arizona. Maton described his throwing progression as one 鈥渧ery similar鈥� to how he would normally build up before a season began. He threw off a mound at least twice a week and had 鈥渁 little bit more鈥� intense training days as he looked to add some extra velocity on his fastball. The setting gave him a break off his feet while training at home vs. compared to the longer days spent on backfields during spring camp.

The preseason work boosted Maton鈥檚 average cutter to 90.9 mph after it averaged 88.7 mph in 2024, per Statcast. His sinker鈥檚 average velocity has increased by 2.1 mph. The gains have aided Maton to a 32.8% whiff rate, a 29.5% strikeout rate, and a groundball rate above 55%. Maton鈥檚 whiff rate and ground ball rate both rank in the 90th percentile of qualified major leaguers.

鈥淚鈥檝e I felt really good on the slope,鈥� Maton said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 felt familiar. There are definitely some days where you just go out there and it feels like you鈥檙e on the moon. You have no idea what you鈥檙e doing. But I feel like that鈥檚 been pretty minimal this year. I think, take away probably two outings on my year, I鈥檇 be extremely happy with where I鈥檓 at. But that鈥檚 just kind of a life of reliever where a lot of times your identity is just kind of based one or two bad outings. Overall, pitch execution, I鈥檝e been pretty happy with. (Pitch) shapes I have been happy with overall.鈥�

After he had a five-game gap between outings, Maton worked around a walk and a single in a scoreless inning against Detroit. He struck out two batters in the outing.

Maton described a gap between games as long as he experienced this past week as one that can create to an urge to get back on a mound to find ways to 鈥渟tay sharp.鈥�

鈥淚 try to get off the mound almost every day regardless, just to stay sharp,鈥� Maton said. 鈥�... It鈥檚 kind of a matter of, even in some of those days where it鈥檚 maybe a lopsided game, (you) still need to get in there and get some work in and stay sharp, so whenever it鈥檚 a close game and we need some big outs, I can still be the best version of myself.鈥�

Contreras absent from lineup

Willson Contreras was said to be feeling 鈥渁 lot better鈥� as he deals with a mid back spasm and could return to the Cardinals鈥� starting lineup as soon as Sunday, Marmol said.

Contreras was absent from the Cardinals鈥� starting lineup Saturday vs. Arizona after he was a late scratch on Friday. Marmol described Contreras鈥檚 back spasm as something that was 鈥渧ery random鈥� that popped up when Contreras took swings Friday rather than it being an injury that built up.

鈥淲e were in between on going yesterday and then it started tightening it up,鈥� Marmol said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to risk it... and then be out for 10 days. I鈥檇 rather it be one or two days. Our hope is that he鈥檚 ready to go tomorrow.鈥�