The St. Louis Cardinals have had an up-and-down start to the 2024 campaign.

St. Louis currently is in fourth place in the National League Central with a disappointing 14-16 record. The Cardinals are loaded with talent but already are 4 1/2 games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers.

The biggest reason for the Cardinals’ struggles this season has been a surprisingly sluggish offense but there have been other issues. St. Louis’ starting rotation is in a much better spot than last year but there still is room for growth.

One player who has dealt with some struggles lately is starter Steven Matz. He had a strong start to the season and allowed just three earned runs in his first three starts but has allowed 16 earned runs in his last three starts.

It’s unclear exactly what has changed, but Matz reportedly is dealing with lower-back soreness which could be the reason why, according to The Athletic’s Katie Woo.

“Steven Matz was trying to pitch through a lower-back issue that came up between starts,” Woo said. “Thought the rainout/extra day would be enough to push through it. Explains the quick hook today and the drop in velocity. He’s scheduled for an evaluation tomorrow.

“Cardinals are terming it lower-back soreness for now. They’ll have more clarity after Matz meets with trainers. Matz felt his back tighten up during a run earlier in the week, and has been dealing with it for four days.”

At this point, it’s uncertain exactly how much the ailment has been impacting Matz but hopefully, he can get back on track soon.