Cardinals right-hander Carlos Martinez has been a highly capable starter for most of tenure with the club, which dates back to 2013. But the Cardinals moved the then-injured Martinez to their bullpen in late April, and that’s where he’s going to stay for the time being, per manager Mike Shildt (via Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch). Shildt suggested the Cardinals don’t have time to build up Martinez, who opened the season on the injured list with shoulder problems. “To put him back in that cycle again doesn’t make a lot of sense when he’s in a spot where he’s had success and he’s recovering,” Shildt said of Martinez, who has totaled 12 appearances and 13 1/3 innings with a 3.38 ERA/3.47 FIP, 8.1 K/9, 2.7 BB/9 and a 58.3 percent groundball rate since he made his season debut May 18. Even though Martinez has posted good numbers as a reliever, the Cardinals’ rotation has missed the 27-year-old. Their starting staff has been mediocre or worse this season.
Here’s more from around the majors…
- The Rangers were planning on giving left-hander Joe Palumbo a chance to audition for a role in their thin rotation, but that may not be the case anymore, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News writes. The 22-year-old Palumbo has started twice, including in Wednesday’s 10-4 drubbing at the hands of the Indians. The Tribe lit up Palumbo for seven earned runs on six hits (two home runs) in two innings. Reliever Jesse Chavez came in after Palumbo and tossed five innings of one-run ball. Although Chavez, 35, hasn’t started extensively since 2017, the Rangers are so hard up for stability in the back of their rotation that they’ll “consider” shifting him there, manager Chris Woodward said.
- Orioles righty Dan Straily’s place on the team’s roster may be in jeopardy, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com suggests. The low-risk flier the club took on Straily on April 5, a little over a week after the Marlins released him, hasn’t worked out to this point. Straily, 30, was coming off a multiyear run as a useful starter when he joined Baltimore, yet he has worked to a hideous 9.82 ERA/9.30 FIP in 47 2/3 innings since then. While Straily began 2019 as a starter, his struggles convinced the O’s to demote him to their bullpen nearly a month ago. Straily has fared even worse in that role.
- Injured Tigers shortstop Jordy Mercer is nearing a rehab assignment and could return to the majors by the first week of July, according to manager Ron Gardenhire (via Chris McCosky of the Detroit News). Mercer, out since April 14 with a right quad strain, already began a rehab stint once. However, he suffered a setback three weeks ago and hasn’t returned to game action yet. When the rebuilding Tigers signed the soon-to-be 33-year-old Mercer to a $5.25MM guarantee in the offseason, they were likely hoping he’d perform well enough to emerge as a summer trade chip. Instead, the former Pirate got off to a brutal start – .206/.275/.317 (55 wRC+) in 69 plate appearances – and hasn’t played since.
teufelshunde4
Calling Cards rotation mediocre is an understatement. Only Hudson is treanding up. Everyone else has under performed horribly.
Reyes isnt close to being ready to fill in either.
Lanidrac
You can’t trust pitcher WAR on Fangraphs, since they base it primarily on FIP. The Cardinals’ starting pitching has been decent (#14) when you sort by ERA.
stevewpants
With all these teams desperate for innings from SP it is an absolute travesty that no one has brought back Bartolo!!!
CursedRangers
Ha! Sad but true! Also hard to believe that Dallas didn’t have more suitors. Would be a perfect fit for the Rangers right now
Jordan09
No thanks on bartolo
Christopher_Oriole
I know the O’s are in a rebuild, but big sexy should be in the orioles rotation. He couldn’t be any worse than anyone they’ve trotted out there outside of Means and Bundy.
robbie71
another “dumpster fire” signing by the Tigers! its brutal watching them these days.need the young players on the farm(s) to develop & get up to the big club as soon as possible.
619bird
Yeah maybe they’ve gotten better at ripping bases and playing defense but now the offense and starting pitching have taken over where those 2 have failed the last couple of seasons. They could really use Martinez in the rotation. Too bad he didn’t take his offseason rehab seriously.
Team needs to be tweaked in the field and in the rotation but you know motie will do nothing. I don’t think they can secure a division or a wc with this erratic offense (6 hits in 58 ab going into the 9th last night) and Daniel Poncedeleon serving as the savior for starting staff when it needs a hero.
adshadbolt1
Cardinals need to go out and make a couple moves big moves. Look at mad bum, Boyd and stromatolites to start and then an impact reliever like smith, Giles, Greene etc. and then look into a young bat. The cardinals have pleanty if prospects. At all cost I would keep Gorman and kinizer
spudchukar
I agree moves need to be made. Boyd, Smith, and/ or Dickerson should be considered.
robbie71
boyd would be a good get.im hoping AA can cash boyd in to get a young impact bat.watching this group flail away every at bat is making my eye twitch
Nick Stevens
Giles is on the IL with elbow discomfort. Red flag.
stan lee the manly
The only reliever this team could use is a better lefty than Webb, if Martinez is staying in the bullpen then their bullpen is really good from the right side. A good lefty starter would be the better bet to get the most improvement from one player.
spudchukar
Hard to have a better impact closer than Hicks. The Red Bird bull pen could use another lefty like Smith, but they have zero need for a righty. The rotation however could use a lefty like Boyd. Except for a left-handed corner outfielder with thump, the Cards are pretty much stuck with their lineup. One can argue they won’t get it done in 2019, and they certainly haven’t lately, but significant changes just can’t be expected this year. Boyd, Smith, and/or a guy like Dickerson are all the moves they can make.
Disco Dave
Mercer Mercer me…things ain’t what the used to be, oh no no
mstrchef13
Didn’t think Straily would work out given his career fly ball rates, but I didn’t imagine he would be this bad. The balls are juiced and the Orioles need to rip out 5 rows of seats and move the fences back. Also, fast forwarding to 2022 when the SPs in A-ball will be ready would also be helpful.
cosmo95
How long are they going to keep Carpenter in the Lead off spot? He has been batting around 200 for the past 3 months. He needs to be a 7th or 8th hitter. The Cardinals need someone who can get on base at a higher percentage to get the offense going!