St. Louis Cardinals: Cardinals receive good news about Alex Reyes

When the St. Louis Cardinals placed right-hander Alex Reyes on the 60-day DL, many thought something had gone wrong. However, it was just for precautionary reasons.

On Friday, the St. Louis Cardinals received some extra good news outside of playing the Cincinnati Reds again. President of baseball operations, John Mozeliak, updated Cardinal Nation on the progress of young, right-hander Alex Reyes in his journey to come back from Tommy John surgery. According to Mo, everything is going well and won’t be too much longer before Reyes goes out on a rehab assignment.

But when exactly?

Well, Mo answered that questions as well. The St. Louis Cardinals expect Reyes to begin a minor league rehab assignment in mid-May. Presumably he will start with the lower level leagues, possibly double-A. But I wouldn’t be surprised if the Cardinals continued their very conservative approach with their top prospect. I expect him to begin in single-A ball and work his way up after a few starts. You have to remember, it’s not about getting him tot he majors right away, especially if the team doesn’t need him.

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It’s more about getting his arm used to game action or game speed once again. Then when he make it back into triple-A, then you can start to wonder when exactly will he be back in St. Louis. But until then, I think it’s safer as St. Louis Cardinals fans to remain patient with this process (trust the process).

The other bit of information Mo offered surprised me a little bit. This entire year, and most of the off-season, I’ve wondered what role the Cardinals would use Reyes in once he returned to St. Louis. I’ve seen closer, starter, and middle reliever, but no one really know until Friday.

Reyes will begin his rehab assignment with the purpose of being a starter, which in my opinion is the best option for him. Throwing him into the bullpen mix would be pretty complicated considering who is already there.

Continuing his progression as a starter, something which he would’ve done this year if he wasn’t injured, make the most sense. But there is something worth noting about this detail.

If the Cardinals plan for a mid-May rehab assignment, what are the chances Reyes is actually going to pitch for the big league team this year? Personally, a lot would have to go right for Reyes during his rehab assignments. The most likely scenario is for the St. Louis Cardinals to call him up in September and start a game or two to afford certain starters rest. Depending on how well he pitches, the Cardinals could use him the playoffs as well, should they get there. But again, he has to be extremely impressive in this scenario, especially if there are playoff implications.

You have to wonder though if the Cardinals will actually use him at all this year. They have been conservative in giving us information on him, his rehab i starting later than expected, they have other young arms that could be used for spot starts throughout the year and in September. It’s definitely worth noting when the time comes.

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With the Reyes on the team, the St. Louis Cardinals would definitely receive a boost. But it has to be under the right circumstances. Don’t rush him back too soon. Long-term health is way more important.