Possible next men up for the St. Louis Cardinals amid COVID-19 outbreak

ST LOUIS, MO - JULY 25: Jack Flaherty #22 of the St. Louis Cardinals watches his teammates play against the Pittsburgh Pirates seventh inning at Busch Stadium on July 25, 2020 in St Louis, Missouri. The 2020 season had been postponed since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
ST LOUIS, MO - JULY 25: Jack Flaherty #22 of the St. Louis Cardinals watches his teammates play against the Pittsburgh Pirates seventh inning at Busch Stadium on July 25, 2020 in St Louis, Missouri. The 2020 season had been postponed since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
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MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – JULY 28: The St. Louis Cardinals dugout is seen before the home opener game at Target Field on July 28, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins defeated the Cardinals 6-3. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – JULY 28: The St. Louis Cardinals dugout is seen before the home opener game at Target Field on July 28, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins defeated the Cardinals 6-3. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

Genesis Cabrera

Genesis Cabrera debuted for the Cardinals last season and the lefty showed he needed a little more seasoning. The 23-year-old has an electric fastball/curveball mix that, for the time being, fits best out of the bullpen. The Cardinals didn’t lose any lefties, but that doesn’t mean they can’t use the talented Cabrera as an option.

Alex Reyes

For the time being, reports about Alex Reyes are a little shady. From the most recent report, Reyes was hitting up to 99 mph in a live bullpen at the Cardinals’ satellite camp. To me, this tells me he’s past his rusty faze he showed in spring training and is ready to rejoin the club. We all know how Reyes’ career has gone to this point and this would be the perfect time for Reyes to make a triumphant return to pitching.

Johan Oviedo

All spring, one name we heard almost endlessly was Johan Oviedo. The 22-year-old pitched between High-A and AA last year with a fair amount of success. His ERA wasn’t anything special (4.73), but his 10.0 strikeouts per nine speak to the power pitcher that he is. Oviedo was a starter in the minors and may end up being one for the Cardinals eventually, but he fits best out of the bullpen for 2020.

Rob Kaminsky

Way back in 2015, Rob Kaminsky was a top prospect for the Cardinals before he was traded away at the deadline. Since then, Kaminsky has battled almost consistent arm injuries and the former first-rounder has yet to make his MLB debut. Still just 25, the lefty signed with the Cardinals before the season as a minor league free agent. Kaminsky is currently at the satellite camp and could be a guy that is under the radar to get the call.

Nabil Crismatt

Crismatt was the one name that made no sense to put in the 60-man roster pool. The 25-year-old is a career minor leaguer who hasn’t been particularly impressive in recent years, but he has eight years of MiLB experience. The Cardinals took a flier on him and have given him a chance so far, so it wouldn’t be out of the question for them to give him a short leash on an MLB stint.

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