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St. Louis Cardinals Southpaw Making a Case For Major League Bullpen
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- St. Louis Cardinals Southpaw Making a Case For Major League Bullpen
The St. Louis Cardinals have built a pile of arms over the last year due to various free agent and trade acquisitions.
This spring is serving as a testing or prototype stage for the first phase of the rebuilt roster and several pitchers are making a case to make the major league roster.
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Justin Bruihl was acquired by the Cardinals on Jan. 6 from the Toronto Blue Jays in return for cash.
Bruihl was originally considered a depth left-handed reliever for the team but he's making a legitimate case to break camp with St. Louis .
Bruihl made his fifth appearance in Grapefruit League action against the Washington Nationals on Wednesday. For the third time in his five outings, he put together a scoreless performance.
Bruihl struck out one batter and allowed one hit on 13 pitches. Eight of his 13 pitches went for strikes.
This spring, Bruihl has posted a 7.71 ERA and has fanned six batters in 4.2 innings pitched across his five turns on the mound.
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The 28-year-old left-hander made just 15 appearances in the major leagues last season with the Blue Jays. He posted a 5.27 ERA and struck out 18 batters in 13.2 innings pitched.
The most outings he's made in a single season was 27 in 2023.
Bruihl is currently projected to make the major league bullpen. According to FanGraphs roster resource projections, St. Louis is predicted to open the regular season with a bullpen of Gordon Graceffo , George Soriano , Matt Pushard , Bruihl, Ryne Stanek , Matt Svanson , JoJo Romero and Riley O'Brien.
According to a report from Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Dispatch, Bruihl has started to use a slide step to adjust the timing of his pitches while also maintaining the effectiveness of his arsenal.
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Regardless of who breaks camp with the the Cardinals, the pitching staff will likely undergo a lot of different looks as the season progresses.
Another promising reliever, left-hander Quinn Mathews , was re-assigned to minor league camp Monday after a promising spring with St. Louis.
The Cardinals aren't expected to compete for a playoff spot this season due to the amount of roster turnover with the goal of rebuilding a team.
However, that situation could lead to St. Louis giving many players opportunities in the majors who otherwise wouldn't receive them.
If Bruihl can prove to be a consistent hurler in the bullpen, he can carve out the first true permanent role for himself in his career.
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