The Cardinals announced Monday that they’ve selected the contract off right-hander Nabil Crismatt. Fellow righty Roel Ramirez was optioned to the alternate training site in a corresponding move. The Cards are also bringing right-hander Jake Woodford up as the 29th man for tonight’s twin bill against the Cubs.
Crismatt, 25, was a minor league signee whom the Cardinals invited to Spring Training over the winter. He’s spent most of his career in the Mets organization and was with the Mariners organization in 2019. A starter for most of his career in the minors, Crismatt has struggled in parts of two Triple-A stints but carries a 2.82 ERA with 9.3 K/9, 2.3 BB/9 and 0.7 HR/9 through 195 Double-A frames. Home runs have been an issue for him in the launching pad that is the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, but even in spite of the long balls, he’s averaged nearly 11 punchouts per nine frames at that level.
The Cards have had seven players make their MLB debuts since they resumed play after a team Covid-19 outbreak wiped out more than two weeks of their schedule. Crismatt will be the eighth if and when he gets into the game. He’ll also serve as rotation depth or bullpen length for the remainder of the season as the Cards work their way back toward a full-strength roster.
