Cardinals Option Chris Roycroft In Necessary Move

The St. Louis Cardinals are making a change in the bullpen.

On Wednesday, the Cardinals faced off against the San Diego Padres and reliever Chris Roycroft allowed three earned runs across 1 1/3 innings of work in the contest. It took 42 pitches to get through the 1 1/3 innings and only 22 of them were for strikes. When he entered the game, the Cardinals still had a fighting chance and were down 3-1. Things took a turn and the Cardinals lost, 6-1.

After the game, there were plenty of fans on social media calling on the team to make a change, and that is exactly what they are doing. Popular X account "Redbird Farmhands" shared that the club was optioning Roycroft down to Triple-A.

"The Cardinals have optioned Chris Roycroft to Memphis," the account shared.

The Cardinals Are Optioning Chris Roycroft

Feb 14, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Chris Roycroft (58) delivers a pitch during a spring training workout at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

This sparked interest on X by fans of the organization and shortly afterward, the official transaction popped up on his MLB.com profile.

It was the right time to make a move as he now has a 15.19 ERA in seven total appearances for St. Louis.

As of writing, the Cardinals have not announced a corresponding move yet, but there will be options for the organization. Hunter Dobbins would be the most obvious, but he was optioned on June 12 and isn't eligible to return yet, barring an injury. When a pitcher is optioned down to the minors, they have to spend a minimum of 15 days down there before they are able to be brought back up. For a position player, that threshold is 10 days.

So, Dobbins isn't an option, unless there is an injury. Beyond him, arms to watch for the organization are Brycen Mautz, Luis Gastelum, Max Rajcic, and even Quinn Mathews. Mautz already has been in the majors this season and made one appearance for the club. Gastelum hasn't made his big league debut, but has been tearing it up down in Triple-A. He has a 2.68 ERA in 29 total appearances this season for Triple-A Memphis. Rajcic has a 2.88 ERA in 26 total appearances so far this season for Triple-A Memphis. Mathews has been hot of late and hasn't allowed more than three runs in each of his last four starts. Over that stretch, he logged a 1.71 ERA in 21 innings pitched.

The Cardinals could easily shift Kyle Leahy to the bullpen right now if they saw fit, although they haven't shown an indication this season that they are willing to do that.

All in all, the Cardinals are making a change.

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