The St. Louis Cardinals have made another roster adjustment as they navigate one of the toughest stretches of their season, designating right-handed reliever Scott Blewett for assignment to clear space for the return of fellow right-hander Hunter Dobbins from Triple-A Memphis.
The move, first reported by Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat, reduces the Cardinals’ 40-man roster to 39 players and underscores the difficult decisions teams often face when managing pitching depth during a demanding stretch of games.
Dobbins Returns to Provide Spot Start
The Cardinals are currently in the middle of a grueling run in which they will play 20 consecutive days without an off day, putting extra strain on their pitching staff.
According to Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Dobbins was recalled specifically to make a spot start, allowing the club to give its regular rotation an extra day of rest before continuing the challenging schedule.
With Dobbins needing a roster spot, the Cardinals had to remove a pitcher from the bullpen, and Blewett ultimately became the odd man out.
Blewett’s Return to the Majors Was Short-Lived
The transaction is particularly unfortunate for Blewett, whose latest stint in the major leagues lasted only a few days.
The veteran right-hander signed a minor league contract with St. Louis during the offseason and spent much of the year pitching effectively for Triple-A Memphis. After putting together several solid months in the minors, Blewett exercised the opt-out clause in his contract, forcing the Cardinals to either add him to the major league roster or risk losing him to another organization.
The Cardinals chose to promote him last week, giving him another opportunity to pitch in the majors.
Blewett made the most of his limited chances, including a strong performance in Tuesday night’s 5-1 loss to the Los Angeles Angels, where he delivered two scoreless innings out of the bullpen. However, he threw 42 pitches during that outing, making him unlikely to be available the following day.
With the club needing a fresh arm for Dobbins’ start, Blewett became the roster casualty despite his effective performance.
Out of Options Leaves Blewett in Limbo
Because Blewett has exhausted all of his minor league options, the Cardinals could not simply send him back to Triple-A.
Instead, the team was forced to designate him for assignment, beginning a process that allows St. Louis several days to explore possible trade opportunities before placing him on outright waivers.
Given the constant demand for bullpen depth across Major League Baseball, Blewett could attract interest from clubs searching for an experienced reliever capable of providing immediate innings.
Over parts of his major league career, the 29-year-old has compiled a 4.10 ERA across 74 2/3 innings, showing flashes of being a dependable middle-relief option.
Triple-A Numbers Suggest Better Results Than ERA Indicates
While Blewett’s 5.18 ERA in Triple-A this season may not stand out, the underlying metrics paint a far more encouraging picture.
Across 37 appearances covering 48 2/3 innings, he posted an impressive 28.4% strikeout rate, demonstrating his ability to miss bats consistently. He also maintained a respectable 8.6% walk rate and generated ground balls at a solid 44.4% clip.
One of the biggest reasons for his inflated ERA was an unusually high .425 batting average on balls in play (BABIP), suggesting he was the victim of poor luck rather than consistently poor pitching.
Those advanced numbers could make Blewett an appealing waiver claim or trade target for teams looking to strengthen their bullpen with a pitcher whose performance may be better than his traditional statistics indicate.
Cardinals Continue Managing Pitching Depth
With a packed schedule and no days off for nearly three weeks, the Cardinals are expected to continue making roster moves to keep their pitching staff fresh.
For Blewett, the designation creates uncertainty about his future, but his recent performances and strong strikeout ability could give him another opportunity with either St. Louis or another major league club before long.
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