Cardinals Give 24-Year-Old Prospect a Shot With Justin Bruihl Injured

The St. Louis Cardinals don't have a lot of weaknesses, but the bullpen has been one.

St. Louis has some very solid pieces on its hands, like Riley O'Brien, JoJo Romero, George Soriano and Gordon Graceffo, but there are also guys who have struggled throughout the campaign to this point. Overall, the Cardinals' bullpen is ranked 17th in the league with a 4.17 ERA.

Over the last few weeks, there has been plenty of buzz about ways that the Cardinals could improve their bullpen without going out and making a splash in the trade market. The name that has been thrown around the most has been No. 21 overall prospect Luis Gastelum. The righty has been sharp this season down in Triple-A to the tune of a 2.27 ERA in 36 outings.

The Cardinals Are Giving Luis Gastelum A Shot

Feb 14, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Luis Gastelum (95) delivers a pitch during a spring training workout at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After a long wait, Gastelum's time has come. On Tuesday morning, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reported that Gastelum is getting his call to the big leagues on Tuesday for the club's doubleheader against the Milwaukee Brewers.

"Good morning. Cardinals are promoting Luis Gastelum for his MLB debut ahead of today’s doubleheader, a source with direct knowledge says. Will require a 40-man spot as well as an active roster spot," Jones wrote.

This comes after lefty reliever Justin Bruihl left his appearance early on Monday night with a sprained ankle. He stumbled off the mound in the seventh inning of Monday's contest against Milwaukee while attempting to throw a runner out at first base. It's tough to lose him at the moment because he's actually turned his season around after a very slow start to the 2026 campaign. Bruihl has a 3.70 ERA in 39 outings this season. Over his last 15 outings, he has logged a 1.89 ERA in 19 innings pitched.

The Cardinals lost another reliever on Monday as well as they announced that Max Rajcic was being placed on the Injured List with a right elbow injury.

So, the bullpen is thin, to say the least. Gastelum is coming up to try to stop the bleeding and give this club another dependable, right-handed hurler. He made his professional debut back in 2023 and has shot his way up through the Cardinals' farm system ever since. His rise really began in 2025. Before then, he hadn't pitched above Class-A. In 2025, he spent the entire season in Double-A. This year, he has been in Triple-A. But, now, that is changing and Gastelum is coming up to the big leagues.

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