St Louis Cardinals News: Miller activated, Tyler Webb DFA’d

Before the St Louis Cardinals start a four-game series at home, the team announced they have activated Andrew Miller and DFA’d Tyler Webb.

For a couple of years, Tyler Webb has been the butt of many jokes from St Louis Cardinals. Like plenty of other players who have filled this role, the player deserved better.

While Webb has been a quietly reliable reliever since he joined the team, it all fell apart in 2021. In almost every way, things have been bad. Walks are up, runs are up, hits are up, velocity is down, and it has finally caught up to the 30-year-old.

On Thursday, the Cardinals announced that Andrew Miller is coming off the 10-day IL after suffering from a toe blister and now would be taking the place of Tyler Webb.

In the end, Webb appeared in 22 games in 2021, throwing just 16.1 innings. He allowed 24 total earned runs, walking 19 and striking out 14. The final appearance for Webb came in Wednesday’s blowout against the Dodgers.

Getting three outs, Webb walked two and gave up three runs. He did get one final strikeout that we will commemorate now. To Austin Barnes, we thank you for being blown away by 91 up in the zone.

Webb also got an at-bat in this horrific blowout of the game, his second of his career.

To Tyler Webb, we thank you for this memory of you trying your best against Walker Buehler. In the end, Tyler Webb’s 2021 can be summarized with that pitch from Buehler: a swing and a miss.

Whether or not another team takes a chance on Webb is unknown, but there is always a chance that the lefty gets to AAA Memphis and maybe one day makes it back to St. Louis. Either way, Webb’s 13.22 ERA and -1.5 bWAR should be enough evidence in their own right for this move.

Andrew Miller hasn’t appeared in a game since April 29 but has thrown three innings at Memphis, giving up just one solo shot.

Like Webb, Miller has shown inconsistencies when it comes to throwing strikes in 2021, and if there is one thing that this bullpen needs, it is another consistent arm. Hopefully the 36-year-old Miller can provide that veteran, dependable presence.