Coming back from a 2023 season shortened by arthroscopic left elbow surgery, Hjerpe was babied by the Cardinals for the first few months of the season at High-A Peoria, never exceeding four innings or 67 pitches in any of his 11 starts. They loosened the reins a bit upon a midseason promotion to Double-A Springfield, but unfortunately Hjerpe went down with more elbow trouble in early July which ended his campaign. When healthy, Hjerpe's performance was mostly encouraging, as he fanned 76 in 52.1 innings while collecting a 3.27 ERA. He also walked 28 batters, and avoiding free passes has been a consistent concern since he entered pro ball. Hjerpe, who works from a super low arm slot from the left side, needs to stay on the bump and find the strike zone in 2025. If he does that, he could be part of the Cardinals' rotation before the end of the season. Read Past Outlooks