How first bullpen reshuffling frees up Kyle Leahy for an intriguing role: Cardinals Extra

The first roster transaction of this season to change the look of the Cardinals’ bullpen was as much about creating a new opportunity for a reliever who stayed than just replacing the reliever on the move to Class AAA Memphis.

A few games after using him in a notable, higher-leverage spot, the Cardinals optioned Chris Roycroft to their Triple-A affiliate after Wednesday’s game. They promoted right-hander Roddery Munoz on Friday for the first time, not to tag-in for Roycroft’s role but to bring innings so that the Cardinals can see how Kyle Leahy does when shifted from long relief into tighter binds.

“When you have a ‘pen that is not fully defined and you have some guys or some inexperience they define that role,” manager Oliver Marmol said. “As you get deeper into the season, they claim who is your up-one or -two guy in the sixth, who is your up-one guy in the seventh, who is your down-two guy in the sixth. They’re the ones who let you know what role they should have. You keep putting them out there and give them opportunity to show exactly that.”

In six appearances this season, Leahy has limited opponents to one hit.

He’s struck out 10 in 7 2/3 innings with a 1.17 ERA, and his ability to land five different pitches — even in short-burst appearances — has held right-handed batters to 1 for 17 (.059).

To free Leahy from a multiple-inning or insurance assignments, the Cardinals needed to fill that spot. Munoz, a former starter, can. In four games for Memphis, the right-hander has seven strikeouts in five innings. Claimed off waivers this past November, Munoz arrived in spring to learn he would focus on relief, not starting. The Cardinals told him at the time that his swifter path to the majors would be as a reliever, and he threw himself into it.

“I’ve been waiting for this opportunity,” Munoz said. “I didn’t feel great (as a relieve in 2023) because all of my career was as a starter. This year, I feel more comfortable.”

Everything Munoz throws has hard-charging velocity.

The shift to relief is meant to help improve his control and unlock his cutter.

“We’re going to find out,” Marmol said. “We’ll see what it looks like up here. That’s the hope, yeah.”

Encouraged by how he felt after a five-out appearance at Fenway Park, Roycroft allowed four runs (three earned) and collected only three outs this past week in Pittsburgh. The right-hander has experienced a flattening of his sinker that’s working to correct. He walked six batters in 5 2/3 innings this season and had a 7.94 in seven appearances. Some of the looks that Roycroft got in late-inning relief and as a possible setup man will go to Leahy.

Performance reveals roles. Consistency determines performance.

“Now it’s just a matter of consistency, right?” Marmol said. “Your ability do that over time — which is what 162 (games) is for.”

Gray would welcome Team USA invite

Having declined two previous opportunities to pitch for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, Cardinals starter Sonny Gray said Friday he would welcome the invitation to pitch for the national team when the international tournament returns next spring.

Gray, 35, was invited to be on Team USA in 2023, but on the brink of free agency, the right-hander chose not to pitch. That team, anchored by Cardinals corner infielders Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt, lost to Japan in the championship game. The pitching staff featured Cardinals starters Adam Wainwright and Miles Mikolas, and there was some concern that some of the country’s best pitchers did not participate.

Team USA plans some adjustments to its pitching approach.

And recruitment for the national team will soon begin after Friday’s announcement of manager Mark DeRosa’s coaching staff. DeRosa, a former Cardinals infielder, will reunite with two 2009 Cardinals teammates — Skip Schumaker and Matt Holliday. Schumaker, the National League Manager of the Year in 2023 with the Marlins, will be DeRosa’s bench coach. Holliday will serve as Team USA’s hitting coach.

Andy Pettitte, an October fixture with the Astros and Yankees, will return as pitching coach, the same role he had for the 2023 tournament.

The WBC is an MLB production, and teams are urged to encourage their players to participate. The Cardinals had the most representatives of any major-league club on national teams in the ’23 tournament.

Gray will be entering the final guaranteed year of his contract with Cardinals.

Why no obstruction?

In the eighth inning of Wednesday’s 13-inning loss at Pittsburgh, the score was still tied when it appeared Thomas Saggese had every right to give the Cardinals the lead. Willson Contreras skied a popup near the plate, and when trying to make the play, the Pirates first baseman and catcher collided.

Neither made the catch.

With two outs, Saggese dashed in from third — and the tangle of Pirates dropped right in front of him, across the baseline, as he neared the plate. Saggese dodged joining the mess, but in doing so paused just enough for Ke’Bryan Hayes to tag him out. It appeared like an obvious obstruction call because Saggese was impeded from reaching the plate by the Pirates and the only interference the fielders encountered was their own. But, Saggese was called out, and that call cannot be challenged or reviewed.

That run would have given the Cardinals a 1-0 lead in the eighth of a game they lost, 2-1.

“I think they would call it differently if they had to do it again,” Marmol said. “I can’t challenge it, as much as you would like to. There is not an option to review it there. You can ask if there’s obstruction — which I did. And (they) said it was not obstruction and therefore the call would stay as is.”

A moment for Dotel

Before the start of Friday’s game that Cardinals held a moment of silence as tribute to former reliever Octavio Dotel. A member of the 2011 World Series championship team, Dotel died this past week when a roof collapsed at a nightclub in the Dominican Republic. Dotel was 51.

In the 2011 playoffs, Dotel was a right-handed neutralizer and ahead of his time as the Cardinals innovated the use of postseason bullpen. Dotel was part of a relief group that threw more innings than the starters in the NLCS, and in that series against Milwaukee he held MVP Ryan Braun hitless. Dotel struck out Braun all three times he faced him in a six-game series.

Gorman’s rehab, etc.

The Cardinals will determine this weekend if Nolan Gorman (hamstring strain) will go on a rehab assignment before returning to the active roster. Gorman has been participating in baseball drills and batting practice, and the team had an evaluation scheduled Friday evening to determine where or if he’ll head to a minor-league affiliate for some at-bats before a big-league game. … This weekend is the final chance for the Cardinals to use Steven Matz in relief before he moves into the rotation with a start at the end of the home stand, on April 16. The Cardinals will use a six-man rotation from that point. … Zack Thompson (lat strain) has continued a throwing program in Jupiter, Florida, at the Cardinals’ player development facility. He’s working toward his first time off the mound since he injured the muscle in spring training.