Cardinals cut ties with struggling reliever in latest bullpen shakeup

Just days after a pretty major roster shake-up that saw catcher Jimmy Crooks and outfielder Nelson Velazquez added to the Cardinals roster, Chaim Bloom has now designated right-handed reliever Matt Pushard for an assignment, and since he is a Rule 5 selection, he will go through waivers and then be offered back to the Miami Marlins if no one claims him. The Cardinals are recalling right-handed starter Hunter Dobbins as the corresponding move.

Pushard, who has spent most of this year on the injured list, has struggled in his limited opportunities for the Cardinals, posting a 5.14 ERA in six appearances, including a really tough outing against the Cubs on Saturday night. The Cardinals have been very patient with struggling relievers like Matt Svanson and Justin Bruihl, so for them to go ahead and pull the plug here says a lot about what they think of his struggles compared to others.

The Cardinals have had a really difficult time figuring out a solid mix beyond their top bullpen arms. If they are going to remain in contention this summer, that is a problem that needs to be solved, but their immediate solution raises some questions regarding how they may go about doing that.

With Hunter Dobbins being added to the 40-man roster, what is the Cardinals plan for their bullpen?

It's hard to imagine the Cardinals tabbing Dobbins as a reliever moving forward, so his addition to the roster likely coincides with him being scheduled to start in Memphis today, so he's available to give the Cardinals innings if they need him today or tomorrow.

But with this year being about the big picture and development, I would be very surprised to see Dobbins as their solution to their bullpen woes, so I fully expect him to move back to Memphis after his appearance, unless the Cardinals are ready to move someone like Kyle Leahy back into the bullpen.

They are a bit hamstrung at the moment by having Richard Fitts, Cooper Hjerpe, Tekoah Roby, and Tink Hence all on the 40-man roster and either out with a significant injury or nowhere close to an MLB debut. None of those guys can be placed in the 60-day IL to free up a 40-man spot unless the Cardinals want to start their service clock, so there's a bit of gymnastics going on here.

Right now, the only other arm on their 40-man roster that they can turn to is Chris Roycroft, as Svanson and Mautz were recently optioned to Memphis, so they cannot be recalled yet. The Cardinals could be in line to add a new arm to their 40-man roster in the coming days, but for now, this does clear the way for Lars Nootbaar to be added back to the 40-man when his rehab assignment wraps up this week.

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