By Scott Plaza | May 2, 2025
As the St. Louis Cardinals gear up for a home series against the New York Mets, the team has made a few bullpen adjustments — recalling a pair of pitchers from Triple-A Memphis who are no strangers to the big-league club.
Chris Roycroft and Roddery Muñoz have been called back to St. Louis to provide fresh arms after a taxing four-game series against the Reds.
Roycroft, who made the Opening Day roster but struggled early, returns looking to rediscover his form. In seven appearances for the Cardinals this season, the 6-foot-8 right-hander posted a 7.94 ERA with six walks in just 5.2 innings. With his velocity down and control slipping, the team sent him to Memphis to regroup. Though his first outings there were rocky, Roycroft rebounded with four straight scoreless innings and picked up a pair of saves. He’ll now slide into a middle-relief role, bridging the gap to Kyle Leahy, Phil Maton, and closer Ryan Helsley.
Joining him is Muñoz, who initially replaced Roycroft in April. The 25-year-old has shown flashes but continues to battle command issues. In his earlier stint with the Cardinals, he gave up three runs in 2.2 innings — all in one outing. Since returning to Triple-A, Muñoz has appeared in four games, giving up five runs over 5.1 innings while logging multiple-inning appearances twice.
To make room, the Cardinals optioned Matt Svanson and Riley O’Brien back to Memphis. Svanson impressed during his big-league debut with a 3.18 ERA over five innings but gave up his first runs during a tough outing after a rain delay in Cincinnati. O’Brien, meanwhile, had a rough final outing — allowing three runs after a strong start to his call-up. The hard-throwing righty had struck out 14 batters in just seven innings with Memphis before being promoted.
Both Svanson and O’Brien are expected to remain in the mix for future bullpen needs as the Cardinals continue to cycle arms to stay fresh during the long season.
