Cardinals Writer Expresses Concern Over Young Reliever After Rough Start

Is it time for Cardinals fans to be worried about Ryan Fernandez?

Mar 14, 2025; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Ryan Fernandez (64) throws a pitch during the fifth inning at against the New York Mets at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are off to a rough start in 2025. Through 21 games, they own a 9-12 record in sit in fourth place in the National League Central, four games behind the first place Chicago Cubs.

There are several players who are off to slow starts, including a key bullpen piece from 2024.

Right-hander Ryan Fernandez performed well last year and saw his role elevated in 2025 after the departure of Andrew Kittredge. However, entering Sunday's action, the 26-year-old right-hander had a 9.00 ERA in his nine appearances.

Josh Jacobs of Redbird Rants believes it's fair for fans to be worried about Fernandez.

"By the time this gets published, I wouldn't be shocked if Ryan Fernandez is already heading to Memphis to work through the funk he's in," Jacobs predicts.

"Things have gone about as poorly as they possibly could for Fernandez to start 2025. Making nine appearances thus far, he's allowed runs in five of those outings, with nine earned runs in total already this year. While he was a major reason why the Cardinals' bullpen was so good in 2024, it's clear that things have been trending downwards for Fernadez for a while now."

The right-hander posted a 3.51 ERA last year, but his struggles date back to the second half of the 2024 season.

Perhaps it would make sense for the Cardinals to send him down for a little while to work through his struggles and get a fresh arm in the bullpen.

If the Cardinals want to bounce back, they'll need Fernandez to be at full strength.

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