photo: Alex Reyes (Benny Sieu/USA TODAY Sports)
St. Louis Cardinals press release
The St. Louis Cardinals announced prior to today’s (Wednesday’s) game that they have activated rookie right-handed pitcher Alex Reyes from the 60-day disabled list and optioned right-handed pitcher Mike Mayers to Memphis (AAA). Right-handed reliever Dominic Leone (right upper arm nerve irritation), out since May 5, was transferred from the 10-day disabled list to the 60-day list to make room on the team’s 40-man Major League roster for Reyes.
Reyes, who underwent Tommy John ligament replacement surgery for his right elbow in February of 2017, is scheduled to make his first Major League appearance since September of 2016 with a start in this afternoon’s series finale at Milwaukee.
Reyes, 23, made four injury rehabilitation starts this month, going 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA while striking out 44 in 23.0 innings pitched between Palm Beach (A), Peoria (A), Springfield (AA) and Memphis (AAA). He walked a total of seven batters and allowed only seven hits, four coming in his first start on May 9 for Palm Beach.
Among his accomplishments during his injury rehab assignments, Reyes matched the Springfield single-game strikeout record (13) in 7.2 scoreless innings on May 19 vs. Northwest Arkansas and followed that up with another 13-strikeout performance for Memphis in 7.0 shutout innings on May 24 vs. Oklahoma City.
In his May 24 win with Memphis, Reyes at one point fanned nine consecutive batters, setting a record in the 116-year-old Pacific Coast League. The 6-4, 230-pound right-hander struck out the side in the 2nd, 4th and 5th innings and retired the final 15 batters he faced, allowing just one hit in his final rehab start.
In 12 games (5 starts) for the Cardinals in his debut season of 2016, Reyes went 4-1 with a 1.57 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 46.0 innings pitched and he was the majors only pitcher with three wins against the Chicago Cubs that season as they went on to a World Series title.
The Cardinals 2015 co-Minor League Pitcher of the Year with Austin Gomber, Reyes was signed by the Cardinals as a non-drafted free-agent in December of 2012.
Reyes wears uniform number 29.
Brian Walton’s take
By moving Leone to the 60-day DL to replace Reyes, the Cardinals avoid having to remove another player from the 40-man roster. The timing means that Leone cannot return until early July at the soonest.
Meyers knows the drill, and Reyes? Well, you know all about him already.
Memphis had a roster opening coming into the day, so the Redbirds did not have to make any other move to accommodate the return of Mayers.
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