St. Louis Cardinals institute unexpected rearrangement in their bullpen, summoning two pitchers from their minor league ranks
Cardinals Welcome Familiar Faces Back from Memphis
Kick off your weekend with the St. Louis Cardinals as they welcome the New York Mets for a three-game home series starting this Friday. With a handling in their bullpen, the Cardinals have summoned two familiar names - Chris Roycroft and Roddery Munoz - from their Triple-A affiliate in Memphis.
Familiar Struggles for Chris Roycroft
Roycroft, who made the Opening Day roster last year, will return to St. Louis after facing a rough start to the 2025 season. Demoted last month due to his performance, Roycroft is seeking to rediscover the success he found in 2024, having lost 1.5mph on his fastball with the big league club.1
Struggling with a 7.94 ERA in seven outings, Roycroft has looked for answers in Memphis. Although he had a shaky start, he has since posted a scoreless run in four innings and recorded two saves for the Redbirds.2 With the regulars, he's poised to fill the bridge role to late-inning relievers Kyle Leahy, Phil Maton, and closer Ryan Helsley.
Munoz Hoping for a Fresh Start
Joining Roycroft on the shuttle to St. Louis is Roddery Munoz, the one initially called up to fill Roycroft's roster spot. Despite some struggles, Munoz has shown promise in his short professional career but will need to improve his command if he wants to make an impact with the big league club.
Sending Out Svanson and O'Brien
Heading back down to Memphis to make room for the new faces are relievers Matt Svanson and Riley O'Brien. Both Svanson and O'Brien had impressive performances before their demotion, but they are likely to return to St. Louis during the regular season with more opportunities ahead.
Sources:
- Baseball-Reference.com - Chris Roycroft Player Page
- Baseball-Reference.com - St. Louis Cardinals Triple-A Stats
- Chris Roycroft, who was demoted due to his performance earlier in the 2025 season, is returning to St. Louis Mets baseball after being summoned from their Triple-A affiliate, the Memphis Redbirds.
- In his time with Memphis, Roycroft, who made the Opening Day roster last year for the Mets, has looked for answers and has posted a scoreless run in four innings and recorded two saves.
- Roddery Munoz, the other reliever summoned from Memphis, is hoping for a fresh start with the Mets after initially being called up to fill Roycroft's roster spot.
- To make room for Roycroft and Munoz, relievers Matt Svanson and Riley O'Brien are returning to the Mets' Triple-A affiliate in Memphis. Both Svanson and O'Brien had impressive performances before their demotion, and they are likely to return to the Mets during the regular season with more opportunities ahead.
