Tag Archives: Jorge Rondon

Cardinals Option Rondon, Will Recall Taveras on Tuesday

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It’s no surprise to any of us that the Cardinals need to get the offense going. So hopefully bringing Oscar Taveras back to the big leagues is one solution, since that’s what the Cards are doing. Jorge Rondon is going back to Memphis, but at least he finally got to pitch one MLB inning this time around.

taverasHere’s the official news from the Cardinals press release.

The St. Louis Cardinals optioned right-handed pitcher Jorge Rondon following Sunday’s game and will report to Triple-A Memphis for Monday’s matchup. The Cardinals will recall outfielder Oscar Taveras on Tuesday to report in San Francisco for the game tomorrow night against the Giants.

Rondon made his Major League debut on Sunday at Dodger Stadium throwing a scoreless inning and issuing one walk.

Taveras, a 22-year old from Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic, played in 11 Major League games from May 31 through June 11 earlier this season before being optioned back to Memphis (AAA). He batted .189 (7-37) with a home run and two RBI during the 11 games. In 62 games at Memphis this season, Taveras was batting .318 with 8 home runs and 49 RBI. Taveras’ .318 batting average ranks 14th in the Pacific Coast League and his 49 RBI rank 13th.

A 5-Sentence Summary of Today’s Loss

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Clayton Kershaw is a great pitcher — he’s won two Cy Young Awards; threw a no-hitter on June 18; plus allowed a grand total of 4 earned runs while striking out 48 and walking 2 this month coming into today.

Cardinals Loss 2The Cardinals offensive struggles are continuing, as they’d scored just 4 runs on 18 hits while striking out 28 times in the first three games in this Dodgers series, so today was going to be a tough challenge anyway.

Yes, the Cards beat Clayton Kershaw twice last October in the National League Championship Series — which mattered not at all today.

Updated Cards totals for the series: losers of 3 of 4 games, 4 runs, 21 hits, 41 strikeouts.

But at least Jorge Rondon finally got to make his MLB debut — third call-up is the charm.

Joe Kelly To DL, Keith Butler To Memphis

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After having an MRI today, Joe Kelly was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring. In addition, Keith Butler was optioned to Triple-A Memphis.

nurseTaking their places on the Cardinals roster: Eric Fornataro and Jorge Rondon, both rookie right-handers who are being called up from Memphis.

Kelly injured his hamstring while running to first base during yesterday’s game in Milwaukee.

Butler had made two appearances this season, allowing six earned runs in two total innings.

Here’s more on Fornataro and Rondon from Cardinals.com:

Fornataro, 26, appeared in four games for Memphis this season, going 1-0 with the team’s lone save. He had yet to allow a run and had been touched for just one hit in five innings of work. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound Fornataro was the Cardinals’ sixth-round selection in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft out of Miami Dade Community College. He has made 180 career Minor League appearances (71 starts) and will make his Major League debut with his first appearance.

Rondon, 26, was an international free-agent signing by the Cardinals in July 2006 and is a product of the Cardinals’ former Venezuelan Summer League team. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Rondon led the Memphis squad with 51 relief appearances in 2013. He appeared in five games for Memphis this season, allowing three runs infive innings pitched. Like Fornataro, he too will be making his Major League debut with his first appearance.

Both will be in Washington, D.C., for tonight’s Cardinals-Nationals game.

Is It Time To Worry About The Cardinals Bullpen?

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Spring training games don’t count, but spring performances are what determine the final St. Louis Cardinals roster that will take the field on Opening Day in Cincinnati March 31. And some spring pitching performances have been awfully unpleasant.

collage318Now it’s true that pitchers sometimes work on specific pitches and take risks they wouldn’t otherwise do when the games count — Adam Wainwright focused just on his curveball in Sunday’s game against the Mets, for example. But is it time to get concerned about the bullpen — or at least some components of it?

Looking at all 30 MLB teams this spring, the Cardinals team ERA through yesterday is 6.27 — tied for last in baseball with the Texas Rangers. Cardinals pitchers have given up 105 earned runs (108 runs total) in 150 2/3 spring innings.

Break that down to starters vs. relievers and the picture changes considerably. The ERA for Cards starters is 3.63, which is fourth-best in the National League and ninth-best in MLB. And for the relievers, it’s 7.66 — not surprisingly last, but more than a full run worse than the team directly ahead of them, the Rangers at 6.18, and two runs worse than the NL team ahead of them, the Padres at 5.42.

Since we need a little good news after that, let’s look at those who are excelling — beginning with closer Trevor Rosenthal. Nothing to worry about with him. After being slowed by a strained groin in late February that kept him from appearing in a game until March 8, he’s now pitched five total innings and allowed one earned run on a homer while striking out five and walking three for an ERA of 1.80. No saves, but no save opportunities yet either.

Having nearly identical stats — same number of games, innings, earned run on a homer, ERA and strikeouts — although with two saves in two opportunities is Kevin Siegrist. No worries there.

Randy Choate has pitched 5 2/3 innings over six games and allowed just two hits while striking out six and walking two. Hard to improve on an ERA of 0.00.

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