3 Cardinals who have already proven they don't belong on roster after May 1

Right-handed pitcher Ryan Fernandez

The Cardinals acquired right-handed pitcher Ryan Fernandez via the Rule 5 Draft last year, and he had a strong initial showing with St. Louis. In 66.2 innings, Fernandez had a 3.51 ERA with a 3.35 FIP and 71 strikeouts. He grew into a reliable late-inning arm whom Oli Marmol could trust in high-leverage situations.

This year, it was expected that Ryan Fernandez would continue as a late-inning reliever. He hasn't been able to pitch effectively enough to remain in a high-leverage role. Not only has he been relegated to "mop-up duty," but he could now see himself sent down to Triple-A.

Through five innings (six appearances), Fernandez has a 10.80 ERA, he's struck out only three batters, and he's walked five batters (one intentional walk). To put it succinctly, Ryan Fernandez has not been good.

Fernandez's best pitch in 2024 according to Baseball Savant's run value was his slider. It sat at 87.3 MPH with 2.1 inches of induced vertical break and 3.2 inches of glove-side movement. His slider is 1.5 MPH slower this year at just 85.8 MPH with -1.9 inches of induced vertical break and only 2.7 inches of glove-side movement.

Batters are teeing off on his slider as a result. They're hitting .500 against with a slugging percentage of .900. He's generating whiffs on the pitch at a 35% clip, down 6% from last year. In 2024, batters hit only .182 against his slider with a .295 slugging percentage. The story is much different for the righty's most-used pitch last year.

Ryan Fernandez will likely get a longer runway than Chris Roycroft did, but his leash is shortening with each failed outing. If he continues to struggle to produce in leverage situations, the front office's hand will be forced.

Roddery Munoz, Riley O'Brien, or Andre Granillo could all be promoted from the minors to fill in for Fernandez once he's demoted. Some time for Fernandez to figure out his slider without pressure may behoove the 26-year-old reliever.