Cardinals Stack Their Pitching Staff Ahead of Tuesday’s Doubleheader Against the Brewers

The St. Louis Cardinals are making moves before a long day at the ballpark. They’ve got a doubleheader with the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday, and the club announced a handful of roster changes just hours before the first game at 2:15 p.m. EST.

The biggest addition is left-handed pitcher Bruce Zimmermann, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Memphis. The Cardinals announced this on social media, saying Zimmermann will wear No. 54. He’s a 31-year-old with five years of big league experience, and he’s started games before. So the thinking is he’ll work out of the bullpen, probably as a long reliever who can eat innings if needed. Zimmermann hasn’t thrown a pitch in the majors yet this season, but that could change Tuesday.

Meanwhile, righty Ryan Fernandez is heading back to Memphis. That’s a little surprising because Fernandez has been pretty good this year. Through 13.1 innings, he’s got a 2.70 ERA with 20 strikeouts. His WHIP sits at 1.350, which isn’t elite but he’s been effective. Still, the Cardinals decided to send him down for now.

Hunter Dobbins Gets the 27th Man Spot

Another right-hander, Hunter Dobbins, will serve as the 27th man for the doubleheader. That’s a temporary gig — he’s up for the day only, then goes right back to Triple-A Memphis after the games wrap up. Dobbins has a 3.63 ERA and 19 strikeouts this season in Memphis, so he’s been decent. No guarantee he actually sees the mound today, but he’s available.

The Cardinals also moved pitcher Max Rajcic to the 60-day injured list. That’s a big escalation. Rajcic first hurt his elbow during the Cardinals’ 17-1 blowout win over the Chicago Cubs on July 3. He left early with elbow soreness and was originally put on the 15-day IL. Shifting him to the 60-day suggests the injury is more serious than they initially let on. The team hasn’t confirmed exactly what the issue is or whether surgery is on the table, but it doesn’t sound good.

So the Cardinals are shoring up depth, giving a few guys a look, and hoping the bullpen holds up across two games. The Brewers aren’t an easy opponent, and St. Louis needs to keep pace in the division. These moves feel like a mix of necessity and a little bit of roster shuffling to get through the workload.