The St. Louis Cardinals have lost back-to-back games, as well as some ground in the National League Central. Following Monday's loss to the Milwaukee Brewers , the Cardinals fell to 2 1/2 games behind the three-time defending division champions.
The NL Central is still a very tough division, with all five teams currently above the .500 mark, but the Cardinals might not be able to sustain their strong start to the season. If anything needs work, it is their bullpen.
Their group of relievers have posted a 4.41 ERA, which is the third-worst in the National League. After Monday's loss, Josh Jacobs of MLB.com suggested that a change needs to happen , particularly with left-hander Justin Bruihl , who has posted a 5.56 ERA in 25 appearances this year.
"The problem to me is that if the Cardinals are going to continue with their strategy of letting these guys mostly just go six (innings), if you're going to do that, you can't have two to three guys in your bullpen at all times that don't work," Jacobs said. "They had Matt Svanson in there. They have Justin Bruihl in there who you can't trust."
Apr 17, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Justin Bruihl (47) delivers a pitch during the sixth inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Bruihl was acquired from the Cleveland Guardians late last offseason as a potential depth piece for the Cardinals bullpen. The Cardinals didn't have a lot of left-handed options beyond JoJo Romero , who could be gone at the trade deadline, so it made sense for them to give Bruihl a look.
However, he hasn't been what the Cardinals had hoped he would be, and continuing to go to him in games may not be the best strategy. For that reason, it might be time for the Cardinals to shake up their bullpen a little bit and bring up some fresh arms.
What they currently have isn't getting the job done, and it is not sustainable if the Cardinals want to keep up their winning ways in remain in contention. Bruihl may have been a good depth option, but he can't be anything more than that at this point, as he just hasn't gotten the job done for the Cardinals.
Perhaps the Cardinals could look to add some bullpen depth at the trade deadline as well as long as it doesn't derail Chaim Bloom's long-term plan. It will be interesting to see where they go with their bullpen, but what they currently have just isn't cutting it.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/cardinals/onsi as Cardinals May Need to Make Change with Justin Bruihl .
