St. Louis Cardinals call up underrated prospect

This sneaky player acquired at the 2023 trade deadline is getting an early audition at the big leagues.

USA Baseball 18U National Team Trials
USA Baseball 18U National Team Trials / Brace Hemmelgarn/GettyImages

The St. Louis Cardinals have made a roster move in preparation for their monumental game at Rickwood Field on Thursday, With injuries to Nolan Arenado and Kyle Gibson, the already depleted club is looking for reinforcements. To take Gibson's spot in the rotation, the Cardinals will be trying out a new pitcher not only for the big leagues but also for the organization. It has been reported that Adam Kloffenstein is being called up and will report with the club tomorrow in Birmingham, Alabama versus the San Francisco Giants.

Kloffenstein, the Cardinals 15th ranked prospect, was acquired during the retooling phase of the season in 2023 when Mozeliak was busy selling off expiring contracts for prospect depth. Kloffenstein was acquired alongside Sem Robberse in the Jordan Hicks trade with Toronto. So far, Robberse has had a solid 2024 season with fans calling for his promotion. But it will be Kloffenstein who gets the early trial in St, Louis. With pitching depth being a major issue for the Cardinals, this is one player expected to develop into a future starter. The time has now come for Kloff to prove himself to the front office.

With Kloffenstein expected to pitch at the Rickwood Field game, many variables are at play with his appearance. The 5th spot in the rotation seems to belong to Andre Pallante, but for how long is the biggest question. Lance Lynn recently got rocked in his latest outing and is questionable being a reliable option for the whole season given his age and total innings pitched on his arm. The Cardinals will be busy this deadline looking to add another pitcher but could add two depending on how they evaluate their internal options. This promotion seems to be just that. Or this outing is to simply cover innings to prevent overuse of their bullpen? The team just lost 2 out of 3 to the Marlins which much credit can be due to the starters getting pulled somewhat early in their outings and the bullpen not being able to close the door.

Rickwood Field will host many storylines outside of Kloffenstein making his debut that will be overshadowing the moment. The history of the ballpark within the Negro Leagues and the stories it provides will grasp all of the viewers' attention during the game. But also the very sudden and heartbreaking news of Willie Mays passing away will now shed a different light on the game. With many emotions being on display tomorrow night, you will not want to miss out. Cardinals versus Giants at Rickwood Field will be broadcast on FOX at 7:15 PM EST. If you want to read more about Adam Kloffenstein, check out my Prospect Profile which goes into further detail.

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