The Cardinals announced today that they’ve placed right-hander Michael Wacha on the 15-day disabled list due to inflammation in his right shoulder and purchased the contract of top prospect Alex Reyes to fill Wacha’s spot on the roster. Brayan Pena has been transferred to the 60-day DL in order to clear a 40-man spot for Reyes. Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tweets that Reyes will pitch out of the bullpen for the Cardinals, so he won’t be stepping directly into Wacha’s now-vacant spot in the starting five.
Reyes, 21, rates as one of the game’s top overall pitching prospects in the eyes of Baseball America, MLB.com, Baseball Prospectus and ESPN thanks largely to a fastball that touches triple digits, a very highly regarded curveball and a solid third offering in his changeup. He introduced himself to a national audience when he appeared in this summer’s Futures Game and pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings with four strikeouts. His biggest fault, to this point, has been a lack of control that has led him to average 4.6 walks per nine innings pitched throughout his minor league career. This season, his first at Triple-A, has been somewhat of a struggle, as Reyes has posted a 4.96 ERA with 12.8 K/9, 4.4 BB/9 and a 43.2 percent ground-ball rate in 14 starts.
The Cardinals will control Reyes through at least the 2022 season via the arbitration process, and the earliest he’d be eligible for arbitration right now would be upon completion of the 2019 season, as the remaining 54 days of service time that he can accrue will leave him well shy of Super Two status.
Craig Mish of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM first tweeted that Reyes had been promoted.
Looks like Tyler Lyons will get Wacha’s rotation spot. Fun to have a chance to see Alex Reyes pitch in a pennant race, though.
That might be tough for Lyons, being on the DL and all
As pointed out, Lyons is on the DL.
Weaver is going to get the call to start Saturday.
Excited to see this arm in the bigs
Luke Weaver will get the Saturday start. When Lyons comes off the DL he may get the majority of the starts, or maybe Jerome Williams, whose already in the ‘pen.
This move boggles my mind. Reyes is definitely an elite talent but he has not shown the ability to control his pitches. It doesn’t matter if you throw 100 mph if you can’t hit the strikezone. I don’t see how his promotion is going to help the club other than maybe from a tv ratings standpoint. Also, who takes Wacha’s spot in the rotation?
Luke Weaver is taking Wacha’s next turn.
Reyes’ control issues will be a lot more manageable in the bullpen, that’s why Weaver is getting the start instead of him. He strikes out enough that he should play plenty well out of the bullpen.
Control issues have been a Cardinal reliever problem most of this year.
At least it will be exciting now to see a 101mph go 5 feet behind the hitter?
Is he going to start or go from the pen?
Nevermidn, weaver also called up and will start Saturday vs Cubs!
We’re both Weaver and Reyes called up? Or one and not the other?
MLB.com has said each, but not in the same links
Weaver will be promoted, but not until Saturday.
MLB.com says that Weaver is being promoted as well and will start in Wacha’s spot in the rotation.
And the hits just keep on coming … Next time around … We will hear that Trout will be in the rotation….
Explain
Uhm…what?
Cub fan but Reyes next year as a starter will win Rookie of the year if Cards don’t make him in eligible cause of there desire to sell tickets
Him coming up isn’t about selling tickets and the Cards as an organization care more about winning than a players individual award.
fyi cards don’t have problems selling tickets. even in a down year performance wise…
Reyes will have growing pains for sure.
how did you like the taste of him sat? Reyes threw almost all fb and fell behind yet Cubs couldn’t do much. Wait till reyes develops some command… scary talent…