St. Louis Cardinals: Alex Reyes Not Yet Cleared for Spring Training Action

Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Just a few days into Spring Training, the St. Louis Cardinals prized prospect is momentarily being held out of action.

Spring training is one of the best times of the year. It is the return of the St. Louis Cardinals and the departure of cold weather (for those in Florida at least).

Spring training, for the St. Louis Cardinals in recent seasons, has brought with it unhappy times too in relation to injury and sidelining of players. In the past few, the Cardinals have lost Adam Wainwright, Jhonny Peralta, and others.

Enter then this season’s spring training that just officially began yesterday. Will this season’s bring with it injury or a successful team? We didn’t have to wait too long for this type of news to develop.

According to a tweet from Jenifer Langosch, Alex Reyes has yet to be cleared by medical staff to begin Spring Training activities. As a result, he did not throw during an anticipated pitching session on Tuesday.

Brian Stull later reported that the news was not a yellow flag regarding Reyes’s health. According to general manager John Mozeliak, the 22 year-old has not completed a physical required to begin each season.

The later report offers breathing room for St. Louis, as Reyes has proved healthy throughout his minor league career with only one disabled list stint since 2015.

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Baseball America ranked Reyes as the highest prospect in the Cardinals farm system for 2017. Within this Top 100 Prospects list, the New Jersey native placed fourth among all prospects in Major League Baseball and first among pitchers.

In 2016, Reyes compiled a 1.57 earned-run average and 52 strikeouts over 46 innings. He made five starts for the Cardinals, three which were quality starts.

Once cleared for action, Reyes is expected to compete for the fifth spot in the St. Louis Cardinals’ rotation this spring. Michael Wacha, Lance Lynn and Luke Weaver are other candidates who could solidify a spot in the rotation before Opening Day.

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