Cardinals activate Flaherty from IL

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Jack Flaherty was reinstated from the 60-day injured list Monday following a lengthy absence due to a shoulder injury, the team announced.

Flaherty started Monday's game against the Washington Nationals, allowing one run while striking out six over five innings of work. He departed with the Cardinals trailing 1-0.

A variety of shoulder injuries have limited the 26-year-old to just three starts this season. He started the season on the IL because of right shoulder discomfort before returning to the sidelines on June 27 with a strain.

Flaherty made five rehab appearances split between Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis in August, posting a 3.60 ERA with 25 strikeouts over that span.

Flaherty only made 17 appearances last year because of an oblique injury. His last full season for St. Louis was in 2019, when he led the National League in WHIP and finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting.

The six-year veteran owns a lifetime 32-24 record with a 3.38 ERA, 3.89 FIP, and 1.09 WHIP across 96 starts with the Cardinals.

To make room for Flaherty on the 40-man roster, the Cardinals designated right-hander Junior Fernandez for assignment. The team also optioned righty Dakota Hudson to Memphis.