OPINION|
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There’s an old saying in sports reporting that draws a firm line.
“No cheering in the press box” is rule No. 1 in the profession. If you violate it and let personal feelings creep into the story, you cannot possibly give readers an objective view of what you’re writing about.
That line often gets bent, however. Silently fist-pumping for the best story is OK, and there are few better stories on the Springfield Cardinals in recent memory than the one of 25-year-old lefty pitcher Cooper Hjerpe and his tale of perseverance.
The organization’s No. 1 draft choice in 2022 out of Oregon State had a lightning bolt of a left arm – until he didn’t. Injuries sidetracked the 6-3, 200-pounder since he turned pro. First came arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies in his left elbow in 2023.
Hjerpe battled elbow inflammation issues in 2024, but pitched well enough through the pain to reach Double-A for the first time. He was a part of Springfield’s first, four-man combined no-hitter and a 3-1 record and 3.07 earned run average in 14 ⅔ innings
Soon after winning Texas League Pitcher of the Week honors in back-to-back weeks, his season ended as pain persisted. He rested and trained into the offseason, looking to stay on the mound. It didn’t work. His season was shut down in July.
Springfield Cardinals starting pitcher Cooper Hjerpe throws the ball to home plate to get the double play after catching a quick line out on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Springfield. (Photo by Ellie Frysztak)
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Hjerpe underwent the derated “Tommy John” ligament replacement surgery during spring training of 2025 after consultation with Dr. Keith Meister, a nationally acclaimed orthopedic surgeon with the Texas Rangers.
“I kind of accepted it, went through the whole process, and now we’re here,” Hjerpe said.
It was a long and lonely road ahead. Hjpere considered himself a patient person. Little did he know how much that was tested.
“You don’t really know how patient you have to be, with recovery like this and the surgery like this,” Hjerpe said. “The first 4-6 weeks, you can’t do anything. And especially what hurt the most … It was at the beginning of the season. I’m sitting there not being able to do a single thing.
“I’m watching all these guys selfishly doing what I wanted to do. Just play baseball and pitch. So, it’s a tough road, man, but it really, once you start throwing it again within your recovery and your rehab process, that’s when the time starts to speed up.”
Hjerpe’s summer of 2026 has been a celebration so far. He returned to Route 66 Stadium on July 2 – nearly two years to the date since his last game there. He made his eighth start of the summer with Springfield on July 30 as the Cardinals beat Wichita (Twins) 6-1 for their seventh straight victory.
Hjerpe, working on a pitch count in the 70s, tossed 69 pitches while working three innings, allowing one run on two hits. The outing came after his best, 4 ⅓ hitless innings on July 24 at Northwest Arkansas. He struck out seven and did not issue a walk.
He remains a long way from the ultimate dream, and Hjerpe is realistic about what’s ahead. But all things considered, it’s night and day from two years ago when he was getting people out with pain in Double-A and knew he wasn’t sound.
“When I look back to ’24, it was like I was worried about throwing and being in pain,” Hjerpe said. “And so now that I’m able to go out there and compete and stay external with all that stuff, it just makes it easier to go out there and play the game that I love.
“Mentally, I can’t even describe how blessed (I am to be) an older guy playing again and have it be pain-free.”
Springfield manager Patrick Anderson recalled having Hjerpe in 2024 when he was skipper at High-A Peoria. The tenuous elbow issues limited pitch counts.
Cooper Hjerpe struck out a school-record 17 in a 2022 Oregon State game against Stanford, on his way to becoming the 22nd player selected in the first round of the MLB draft later that summer. (Photo by Oregon State Athletics)
“This kid’s a fierce competitor. You know, we had a really slow process before,” Anderson said. “He would pitch three innings in Peoria, and it would discourage me to go out there, take the ball from him because he’s such a competitor. He didn’t want to come out. I told him I liked my job and I had to do what my bosses wanted.
“He’s such a pro the way he goes about his business. He is really elite. His stuff is nasty.”
Hjerpe’s pitching style is unique. The All-American from Davis, Calif., doesn’t blaze 100 mph fast balls, but his side-arm delivery from multiple angles and speeds can make batters look silly.
Asked if the Cardinals asked about altering his delivery to lessen stress on the arm, Hjerpe said no.
Springfield Cardinals starting pitcher Cooper Hjerpe walks off the mound celebrating after getting out of the inning on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Springfield. (Photo by Ellie Frysztak)
“I haven’t changed much. Just put on some more muscle, more mass, and that’s pretty much it,” Hjerpe said. “A big part of it for me is deception and creating unique angles. So, obviously I didn’t want to go away from it at all. We didn’t really even have a conversation with the Cardinals about changing anything, really. It was just getting back to where I was before and we’re there now.”
But hopefully, the hardest part is over. The ultimate payoff for an organization that is starved for major-league starting pitchers would be Hjerpe side-wheeling at Busch Stadium in the not-so-distant future.
Once a top-five organization prospect, Hjerpe is at No. 14 this summer.
“It’s and it’s hard to not get a little impatient with wanting to go up and then perform at the higher levels,” Hjerpe said. “But the name of the game for me right now is just drawing that patience in the back of my head. with understanding that my time will come, and it’s up to God. It’s God’s time.
“My job is to go out there every five, six or seven days and help the team win.”
Anderson called Hjerpe mature beyond his years with the mentality to match.
“Oh, he’s a good listener,” Anderson said. “And he watches, he identifies. He listens to everybody. It was cool to see him around the big league in the big-league spring training. He is so mature with an idea of what he’s doing.”
Cardinals at home through Aug. 2
Springfield continues to lead the second half of the Texas League North standings after winning their seventh in a row on July 30 as Deniel Ortiz hit two home runs. The teams play at 7:05 p.m. July 31 at Route 66 Stadium with No. 1 pitching prospect Liam Doyle scheduled to pitch for Springfield. The series continues at 6:35 p.m. Aug. 1 and 6:05 p.m. Aug. 2.
Lyndal Scranton is a Springfield native who has covered sports in the Ozarks for more than 35 years, witnessing nearly every big sports moment in the region during the last 50 years. The Missouri Sports Hall of Famer, Springfield Area Sports Hall of Famer and live-fire cooking enthusiast also serves as PR Director for Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri and is co-host of the Tailgate Guys BBQ Podcast. Contact him at Lscranton@sgfcitizen.org and follow him on Twitter @LyndalScranton. More by Lyndal Scranton