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The Opener: Miller, Freeland, Doubleheaders

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Here are three things we’ll be watching around baseball today:

1. A’s to activate Mason Miller:

After missing a couple of weeks with a broken pinky finger in his non-pitching hand, Athletics closer Mason Miller will return to the club’s bullpen tonight. Manager Mark Kotsay shared the news with reporters yesterday (including Jessica Kleinschmidt). Kleinschmidt noted on Monday that Kotsay himself stepped in to face Miller in live batting practice, and the young hurler reportedly felt great.

The A’s have been playing surprisingly well as of late, but they’ll surely be glad to have their closer back in the fold. The team went 10-6 in July before Miller’s injury, and they have gone 7-6 since. Miller has been, arguably, the most dominant reliever in baseball this season, with a 2.21 ERA and 1.67 SIERA in 40 2/3 innings pitched.

2. Kyle Freeland exits with blister on pitching hand:

Rockies starter Kyle Freeland exited in the fifth inning of last night’s contest against the Mets. After the game, he explained to reporters that he developed a blister in the fourth, and it became a problem in the fifth, causing too much discomfort for him to throw his curveball properly. The southpaw was unable to say if he thinks the blister will affect his next start; he has dealt with blisters in the past, but “this one got pretty big on [him]” (video on X via Christian Saez of DNVR).

While a blister does not sound like a particularly serious injury, it’s not unheard of for a pitcher to require an IL stint while a blister heals. The Rockies, who already have one of the worst pitching staffs in baseball by almost every metric, will be in an even worse position if Freeland misses a few starts. Freeland has a 5.65 ERA but a career-best 4.24 SIERA in 12 outings this season.

3. Two doubleheaders on the docket:

Fans will get a little extra baseball today, with 17 games on the schedule. After a couple of rainouts on Tuesday, there will be two doubleheaders this afternoon and evening. The Guardians and Diamondbacks will kick things off at 12:10 PM CT, with Brandon Pfaadt set to take the mound for Arizona against Cleveland’s Ben Lively. In game two, Eduardo Rodriguez will make his 2024 (and his Diamondbacks) debut, while Carlos Carrasco will take the ball for the Guardians. The Guardians will look to slow down a red-hot D-backs team that has not lost a series since June. Meanwhile, with a pair of wins (and a Padres loss), the Diamondbacks could move into sole possession of the top NL Wild Card spot.

The Yankees and Angels will play the second doubleheader of the day, with game one starting at 3:05 PM CT. Luis Gil of the Yankees is lined up to face Davis Daniel of the Angels. In game two, New York will send Will Warren to the hill against L.A.’s Carson Fulmer. The Yankees are hoping to hold onto sole possession of first place in the AL East, which they reclaimed when the Orioles lost to the Blue Jays on Tuesday.

The Opener: Mahle, Moreno, Rasmussen, MLBTR Chat

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With a full slate of games on the schedule tonight, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around baseball:

1. Tyler Mahle to make his 2024 debut:

The Rangers are planning to activate Tyler Mahle from the 60-day IL to start tonight’s game against the Astros (per Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News). It will be Mahle’s first start of the 2024 season and his first start since signing a two-year, $22MM deal with Texas during the offseason. The right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2023, so the Rangers knew they wouldn’t have him for most of the 2024 season when they signed him this winter. Now, he is returning just in time to help the team attempt an unlikely comeback over the final two months of the season. The Rangers are five games back in the AL West and 8.5 games back in the Wild Card race, but with Mahle getting back on the mound (and Jacob deGrom soon to follow), this team is still hoping to contend.

Texas has an open spot in the rotation after placing Max Scherzer and Jon Gray on the IL last week and trading Michael Lorenzen ahead of the deadline. However, the club will need to make corresponding moves to open up space for Mahle on the 40 and 26-man rosters.

2. Gabriel Moreno suffers groin strain:

Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno exited yesterday’s game against the Guardians after hurting himself running out an infield single. The team later described the injury as a “strained left groin.” While the D-backs have not yet discussed the severity of the strain, it certainly didn’t look good on Monday, as Moreno fell to the ground in pain. He later got up with a trainer’s assistance and limped off the field. Presumably, Arizona will provide an update on his condition ahead of today’s game, which begins at 5:40 pm CT at Progressive Field.

The Diamondbacks have the best record in baseball since the beginning of July, and Moreno has played a big part in their recent success. In 97 plate appearances since coming back from a brief stint on the IL (sprained left thumb) on July 2, he is slashing .333/.412/.476 with a 152 wRC+, all while providing his consistently excellent defense behind the plate. If he misses time, backup Jose Herrera will most likely fill in as the regular catcher, and the D-backs will need to add another backstop to the 40-man roster – perhaps Ronaldo Hernández or Adrian Del Castillo – to take over as the backup.

3. Drew Rasmussen to join Rays bullpen:

Drew Rasmussen is expected to rejoin the Rays either today or tomorrow, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Although he had success as a starter with Tampa Bay from 2021-23, Rasmussen will work as a multi-inning relief pitcher upon his return. Needless to say, the Rays are planning to exercise caution with the 29-year-old, who has undergone three elbow surgeries since 2016. He had Tommy John surgery twice in college and underwent a hybrid internal brace procedure last summer. Very few pitchers have ever worked their way back from three major elbow procedures, but Rasmussen is looking to defy the odds. He will take his next step toward that goal when he returns to the Rays this week.

The Rays already have two open spots on their 40-man roster, so they will only need to clear a space on the active roster before they activate Rasmussen.

4. MLBTR chat today:

The trade deadline is squarely in the rearview mirror, and the post-deadline push for the 2024 postseason is underway. If you have questions about your favorite team’s deadline activity (or lack thereof), its offseason direction or anything else pertaining to the final third of the season, MLBTR’s Steve Adams is holding a live chat with readers at 1pm CT today. You can click here to ask a question in advance, join in live once the chat begins, or read the transcript once the chat is complete.

Dodgers Activate Brusdar Graterol, Place Blake Treinen On IL

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Today: Following last night’s game, Roberts told Ardaya that Treinen felt a problem in his hip after his appearance on Sunday against the Athletics. It likely isn’t serious, however, and Treinen could return to the team as soon as his minimum 15 days on the IL are up.

August 5: The Dodgers activated right-handed pitcher Brusdar Graterol from the 60-day injured list ahead of tonight’s game against the Phillies, the team announced. To make room on the active roster, the club placed fellow right-handed reliever Blake Treinen on the 15-day IL with left hip discomfort. The Dodgers already had an open spot for Graterol on their 40-man roster.

Graterol and Treinen both wound up on the IL in spring training, but while Treinen returned to the field in May, Graterol has been out all year. His injury was initially described as hip tightness and inflammation in his throwing shoulder, but seemingly, the shoulder issue was the bigger problem. He started throwing off a mound again in early April, but the Dodgers shut down his throwing program a few weeks later because his arm wasn’t bouncing back as well as they might have hoped. After that, the team seems to have decided to take things particularly slow with the young flamethrower. Graterol started throwing bullpen sessions in mid-June and began his minor league rehab assignment in mid-July. After eight rehab appearances, he is back in Dodgers blue for the first time this season.

After coming over from the Twins in 2020 as part of the package for Kenta Maeda, Graterol slowly became a key player in the Dodgers’ bullpen. He was an especially important piece for manager Dave Roberts from 2022-23, pitching to a 2.08 ERA and 3.06 SIERA in 114 games. Often serving as a set-up man for closers Craig Kimbrel and Evan Phillips, he led the team with 29 holds and ranked second among Dodgers relievers in Win Probability Added over those two years. Across his four seasons with the Dodgers, he has also made 21 appearances in the playoffs, pitching to a 1.71 ERA and 2.52 FIP.

Still just 25 years old, Graterol is making $2.7MM this season in his first year of arbitration eligibility. He is set to reach free agency following the 2026 campaign.

Treinen, 36, had been enjoying a triumphant comeback campaign after missing most of the 2022 and ’23 seasons with a shoulder injury. In 34 appearances, the righty has pitched to a 2.67 ERA and a 2.81 SIERA. His fastball velocity is down about three miles per hour, but his 30.6% strikeout rate is the highest it’s been since his All-Star season in 2018. That has a lot to do with his slider, which has been one of the best whiff-inducing pitches in baseball this season. Thus, Roberts has given Treinen the ball in plenty of high-leverage spots; no Dodgers pitcher has a higher average leverage index when entering games in 2024 (per FanGraphs).

It is unclear how serious Treinen’s injury is or how much time he will miss. However, if Graterol picks up where he left off in 2023, the Dodgers will have no trouble replacing Treinen’s production at the back end of the bullpen. What’s more, right-hander Michael Grove is also nearing his return from the injured list, which will give L.A. another right-handed option for the bullpen.

Rangers Sign Chase Anderson To Minor League Deal

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The Rangers have signed Chase Anderson to a minor league contract, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post. He was released by the Red Sox earlier this month.

Anderson, 36, signed a minor league deal with the Pirates during the 2023-24 offseason. He was released shortly before Opening Day, and not long after, he signed a major league deal with the Red Sox worth $1.25MM guaranteed. Primarily a starter throughout his career, the veteran right-hander joined Boston’s bullpen as a multi-inning arm. Over 27 games, he tossed 52 innings, pitching to a 4.85 ERA and 4.92 SIERA. Despite his move to a full-time bullpen role, his velocity was not meaningfully higher on any of his pitches, and his 15.6% strikeout rate was the lowest of his career. Ultimately, Anderson was a serviceable mop-up arm but not much more for the Red Sox. As they bolstered their bullpen at the trade deadline, they no longer had room for him on the roster.

Over 11 MLB seasons, Anderson has suited up for eight different clubs: the Diamondbacks, Brewers, Blue Jays, Phillies, Reds, Rays, Rockies, and Red Sox. He has also spent time with the Rangers, Tigers, and Pirates organizations, although he did not pitch for their big league clubs. If his second stint with Texas is more successful than the first, the Rangers will become the ninth team he has played for in his big league career.

As for the Rangers, there’s no such thing as too much pitching, and this team could surely use some veteran bullpen depth. Aside from those on the active roster, Texas does not have many healthy relievers in the organization with significant big league experience and any amount of recent big league success. If the Rangers select Anderson’s contract, they will only owe him a prorated portion of the minimum salary for however long he remains on the roster. The Red Sox are still responsible for the rest of his guaranteed 2024 salary.

Phillies Sign Ryan McKenna To Minor League Deal

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The Phillies have signed Ryan McKenna to a minor league contract, reports Matt Gelb of The Athletic. The outfielder was recently released by the Giants, who claimed him off of waivers from the Orioles in May. He will report to the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

McKenna, 27, made his MLB debut with the Orioles in 2021, six years after the team selected him in the fourth round of the 2015 draft. Across 284 games and 508 plate appearances with Baltimore from 2021-23, McKenna slashed .221/.299/.318 with a 75 wRC+. While his bat was underwhelming, he stole eight bases on nine attempts thanks to well-above-average sprint speed. He also provided 7 OAA with his glove while spending time at all three outfield positions. Ultimately, however, he could never secure a full-time position with the big league club, and the Orioles shuttled him back and forth between Baltimore and Triple-A Norfolk several times each year.

Out of options in 2024, McKenna was designated for assignment on Opening Day and sent outright back to the Norfolk Tides. The Orioles selected his contract less than a month later, but despite his impressive performance in a brief stint with the club (3-for-8 with two home runs), he was DFA’d again in mid-May. The Giants claimed him off of waivers, but his cup of coffee with San Francisco wasn’t nearly as productive; McKenna went o-for-6 over four games before the Giants, too, designated him for assignment. This time, however, he passed through waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A. Unfortunately, things continued to go downhill for McKenna after that. He missed some time with an injury, and when he was healthy, he hit just .227/.308/.348 with a 62 wRC+ for the Sacramento River Cats. He played his last game in the organization on August 1.

McKenna will provide the Phillies with a bit of additional outfield depth at Triple-A. His ability to play all three outfield positions could make him an asset on the bench in case of an injury.

Reds Outright Eric Yang

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The Reds have sent Eric Yang outright to Triple-A Louisville, according to his transaction log on MLB.com. The team selected his contract last Monday, and the catcher made his MLB debut two days later. He was optioned back to Triple-A on Friday and, evidently, removed from the 40-man roster at some point between then and today. There was no prior indication he had been designated for assignment. Yang does not have the right to reject an outright assignment, so he will remain with Louisville.

Now 26, Yang joined the Reds organization at 21 when the club selected him in the seventh round of the 2019 draft. The UC Santa Barbara alum quickly made a strong impression, batting .290 with an 11.0% walk rate and a 135 wRC+ across 51 games of Rookie ball during his first professional season. He was not a highly-regarded prospect across the industry, but Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs ranked him among his top 30 Reds prospects in 2020. That same year, Keith Law of The Athletic included Yang among the “others of note” below his top 20 Reds prospects, describing him as “a solid catch-and-throw guy who rarely struck out in college.”

Following the canceled minor league season in 2020, Yang began to rise up the ranks in the Reds organization. He played for the High-A Dayton Dragons in 2021, and since then, he has bounced back and forth between the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts and Triple-A Louisville Bats. According to Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer, Yang developed a reputation in the system as a catcher who builds great relationships with his pitchers. However, he failed to make much of an impression with the bat at any of those three levels, producing a .613 OPS and 76 wRC+ across 192 minor league games from 2021-24.

Nonetheless, Yang earned his first call to the show last week as a roster replacement for veteran backstop Austin Wynns, who suffered a teres major tear in his right shoulder. Wynns himself was only on the MLB roster as a replacement for Luke Maile, who landed on the IL earlier in July with a herniated disc in his back. Thus, the Reds optioned Yang back to Triple-A when they reinstated Maile on Friday. Presumably, they decided they did not need to carry four catchers on the 40-man roster, so they must have designated Yang for assignment shortly thereafter.

Yang made it into one game during his brief stint with the Reds, pinch-hitting for Tyler Stephenson in the ninth inning of a blowout loss to the Cubs on July 31. He struck out swinging against Cubs righty Porter Hodge.

Orioles Outright Levi Stoudt

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The Orioles have sent right-handed pitcher Levi Stoudt outright to Double-A Bowie, the team announced this morning. He was designated for assignment last week to open up a spot on the 40-man roster after Baltimore traded for Seranthony Domínguez and Cristian Pache. This is the first time Stoudt has been outrighted in his career, and given his limited MLB service time, he has no choice but to accept the assignment.

The Mariners selected Stoudt in the third round of the 2019 draft, but due to a UCL injury and the canceled minor league season in 2020, he did not make his professional debut until 2021. After parts of two seasons in Seattle’s system, he was sent to Cincinnati ahead of the 2022 trade deadline as part of the package for Luis Castillo. He made his MLB debut with the Reds in 2023, making four appearances (two starts) over four separate stints with the big league club. Across 10 1/3 innings, the righty gave up 11 earned runs on 16 hits. He was once a well-regarded pitching prospect, but given his poor performance in the majors and similarly disappointing minor league numbers (6.23 ERA, 7.40 FIP), it came as little surprise when the Reds DFA’d him over the offseason.

The Mariners claimed Stoudt off of waivers this past February, but his second stint in Seattle was short-lived. After he pitched to a 6.92 ERA in 12 games (11 starts) at Triple-A, Stoudt was DFA’d again in June. This time, the Orioles picked him up and brought him back down to Double-A to work exclusively as a reliever. He has a 4.26 ERA but a much more impressive 3.23 FIP over nine games (12 2/3 innings) with the Bowie Baysox. He has struck out 31.0% of batters he has faced, a huge improvement over his 14.9% strikeout rate as a starter with the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers. Presumably, he will continue to work as a multi-inning reliever with Bowie after the outright.

Red Sox Select Nick Sogard, DFA Yohan Ramírez

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The Red Sox have promoted infielder Nick Sogard, the team announced to reporters (including Christopher Smith of MassLive). He will make his MLB debut when he first appears in a game. To make room on the 40-man roster, the team designated right-hander Yohan Ramírez for assignment. In additional Red Sox news, the team has activated right-handed reliever Lucas Sims and optioned second baseman Jamie Westbrook.

Sogard, 26, is the cousin of former big league infielder Eric Sogard. He was selected by the Rays in the 12th round of the 2019 draft and traded to Boston in what then looked to be a small swap sending righty Chris Mazza and eventual breakout left-hander Jeffrey Springs to Tampa Bay. The younger Sogard has enjoyed a career-best showing in Triple-A this season — his third stint at that level — slashing .279/.382/.439 with a dozen home runs, 17 doubles, a triple and a 10-for-15 showing in stolen bases. For a third straight season, his walk rate tops 13%, and while his 20.4% strikeout rate is a career-high, it’s still lower than average.

Although he’s played all over the diamond, Sogard has spent the bulk of his time on the left side of the infield. He’s played 1144 innings at shortstop and 1404 innings at third base, in addition to 944 frames at second base and a handful of games across all three outfield spots and at first base. The switch-hitting Sogard will give the Red Sox an option at multiple spots on the diamond and give Boston a right-handed-hitting option in the middle infield that they sought but didn’t secure heading into the trade deadline. He’s posted roughly even splits in 2024 but in the past has handled himself considerably better as a right-handed hitter against lefty opponents.

Ramirez, 29, has remarkably pitched for four different teams this season, spending time with the Mets, Orioles and Dodgers in addition to the Sox. He’s tallied 45 frames — mostly with Los Angeles — and struggled to a 6.20 ERA but more promising rate stats (21.6% strikeout rate, 8.2% walk rate, 43.8% grounder rate). Ramirez has averaged just shy of 95 mph on his heater but had a hard time getting swings and misses or chases off the plate. Opponents have posted a dismal 47.9% contact rate when they do chase (nearly 10 percentage points below average), but Ramirez has the second-worst overall chase rate among big league pitchers (min. 40 innings).

Ramirez has pitched in parts of five big league seasons, recording a 4.58 ERA, 22.8% strikeout rate and 11.3% walk rate in 169 MLB frames. With the trade deadline now passed, the Red Sox’ only option will be to place him on outright waivers or release him. They still technically have five days to do so, but with no option of trading him he’ll presumably head straight to waivers and be made available to the league’s 29 other clubs.

Pirates Agree To Terms With First-Round Pick Konnor Griffin

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The Pirates have agreed on a contract with first-round draft selection Konnor Griffin, as first reported by Andrew Destin of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The team chose Griffin with the ninth overall pick, which came with a slot value slightly under $6.22MM. He signed for a bonus of just over $6.53MM, retracting his prior commitment to LSU.

After celebrating his 18th birthday in April, Griffin was the youngest player (and the only high schooler) taken with one of this year’s top 10 picks. Baseball America and MLB Pipeline ranked him as the No. 9 prospect entering the draft, while Keith Law of The Athletic had him at No. 10 and FanGraphs had him at No. 12.

Griffin excelled as both a hitter and a pitcher at Jackson Preparatory School, but he will begin his professional career as a position player. However, the evaluators at Baseball America suggest he has “a real fallback option as a pitcher.” That should tell you just how strong his tools are as a hitter and defender. Nearly every source agrees he has plus power, terrific speed, a strong arm, and the skills to be a valuable defender at shortstop or in center field. With so many tools at his disposal, it’s easy to see plenty of All-Star appearances in his future. That said, most evaluators have Griffin in the high (or even extreme) risk category given his youth and questions about how his hit tool will hold up against tougher competition.

Baseball America has Griffin immediately slotting in as the top position player and the second-best prospect in the Pirates’ system.

Cardinals Select Michael McGreevy, Place Lance Lynn On IL, DFA Jacob Bosiokovic

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12:04 PM: Speaking to reporters (including John Denton), Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol explained that McGreevy was called up because the team presumed Lynn would need an IL stint for his knee. However, the skipper noted that Pallante, not McGreevy, will remain in the rotation while Lynn is out. The team does not believe the injury is especially serious (per Katie Woo), and it is not expected to require surgery (per Jeff Jones). Instead, Lynn will take a rest and rehab approach to his recovery.

11:02 AM: The Cardinals have formally selected Michael McGreevy’s contract from Triple-A Memphis, the team announced. To make room on the 40-man roster, Jacob Bosiokovic has been designated for assignment. Bosiokovic, 30, had his contract selected at the end of June, but while he spent four days with the big league club, he did not get into a game to make his MLB debut. In 33 appearances this year for Memphis, he has a 3.95 ERA and a 29.4% strikeout rate, though his 14.1% walk rate is a cause for concern. He will now have a week to pass through waivers. If he clears waivers, the Cardinals will have the option to send him outright back to Triple-A.

In additional Cardinals news, the team placed Lance Lynn on the 15-day injured list with right knee inflammation. Lynn pitched well against the Rangers last night, limiting Texas to one run on three hits over five innings. However, he told reporters after the game (including Woo) that he was nursing pain in his knee. Woo noted that he was walking with “a pretty noticeable limp.” John Denton of MLB.com suggests that Lynn’s injury is “pretty serious,” and that the veteran fears his right knee could be “severely damaged.” However, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reported last night that Lynn and the Cardinals will “monitor” the injury and “see how he recovers.” While Lynn is out, St. Louis could choose to give McGreevy a couple of extra turns in the rotation. Alternatively, they could push back Andre Pallante’s move to the bullpen.

By placing Lynn on the IL, the Cardinals made room for McGreevy on the active roster. St. Louis also recalled right-handed reliever Ryan Loutos from Triple-A and optioned fellow righty reliever Chris Roycroft.

July 30: The Cardinals are planning to promote pitching prospect Michael McGreevy to start Wednesday’s game against the Rangers (per Katie Woo of The Athletic). It will be the right-hander’s MLB debut. St. Louis will need to make corresponding moves to make room for the rookie on the 26 and 40-man rosters.

McGreevy, who turned 24 earlier this month, was the Cardinals’ first-round pick in the 2021 draft. His prospect stock has fallen significantly since he was drafted 18th overall, but he remains a consensus top-30 prospect in the Cardinals’ system. Keith Law of The Athletic remained particularly high on McGreevy entering the 2024 season, ranking him at No. 8 in the organization. Law made note of his durability and suggested, “He would be an easy No. 4 starter if he could get left-handed batters out.” Unfortunately for McGreevy, he has continued to struggle against opposite-handed opponents during his second season at Triple-A. While he has held righties to a .628 OPS in 207 trips to the plate, lefty batters have torched him for an .839 OPS in 261 plate appearances. Thus, his overall numbers have been lackluster. In 20 starts, he has a 4.45 ERA and a 4.31 FIP, only a slight improvement upon his 4.49 ERA and 4.52 FIP in 24 starts at Triple-A last season. Nevertheless, the Cardinals have decided he’s ready to give it a go in the majors, at least temporarily.

McGreevy’s debut will likely just be a spot start. Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat explains that the Cardinals are looking to get their starting five a little extra rest amid a stretch of 16 games in 16 days. Lance Lynn is starting for St. Louis tonight, and after McGreevy’s turn on Wednesday, the rotation will line up as follows: Sonny Gray, recent trade acquisition Erick Fedde, Kyle Gibson, and Miles Mikolas (per Jones). It is unclear how Andre Pallante, who has been in the Cardinals’ rotation since the end of May, fits into this equation. According to Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, manager Oli Marmol has “not sat down yet” with Pallante to discuss his role moving forward. However, Marmol did confirm that he plans to return to a five-man rotation after this week (per Worthy). Thus, Pallante will most likely head to the bullpen. While the right-hander will surely bolster the team’s relief corps, it is noteworthy that the Cardinals are presumably choosing to promote McGreevy for a spot start rather than giving Pallante one last look in the rotation.

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