One of the Cardinals’ most intriguing arms is moving up a level after the All-Star break, and with him goes a rare skill set that still turns heads in any league.
Jurrangelo Cijntje has been promoted from Double-A Springfield to Triple-A Memphis in roster moves announced Wednesday by the Cardinals and their minor league affiliates. The 23-year-old is now lined up to make his first appearance for the Memphis Redbirds and take another step toward the majors.
Cijntje brings something you almost never see: he can pitch both left-handed and right-handed. St.
Louis has mostly developed him as a right-hander, though he still flashes the southpaw side of his game at times. The Cardinals’ No. 4 prospect for 2026 on MLB Pipeline is now headed for his Triple-A debut in just his second minor league season.
The 2024 first-round pick originally went 15th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft to the Seattle Mariners. St. Louis landed him in the February trade that sent Brendan Donovan to Seattle.
His numbers in the Cardinals’ system have been solid, if not spotless. In 17 Double-A starts this season, Cijntje has a 5.04 ERA with 100 strikeouts across 80 1/3 innings. He also logged a 3.99 ERA in 26 games across two minor league levels in 2025, and he piled up 120 strikeouts in 108 1/3 innings during his first pro season last year.
The exact date of his Memphis debut hasn’t been set. The Redbirds are scheduled to play the Iowa Cubs this weekend and the Durham Bulls next week, so his first Triple-A outing will likely come against the affiliate of either the Chicago Cubs or the Tampa Bay Rays.
A big-league call this year still looks unlikely, simply because this is his first move to Triple-A. Even so, if he handles the level well, Cijntje could put himself on the radar for an MLB debut toward the end of 2026 as the Cardinals keep pushing for a playoff spot in the second half.
In Other News...
Cardinals Pitcher Gets Pulled Into All-Star Game Injury Scare
The All-Star Game took an uncomfortable turn when Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero was forced out after being hit on the left hand by a pitch from Cardinals right-hander Riley OBrien. The play immediately shifted the tone of the exhibition, and Miguel Vargas stepped into Camineros spot in the American League lineup as the game moved on without one of its young stars.
Even with the pitch appearing accidental, OBrien ended up absorbing a wave of angry reaction online, the kind that can follow a scary moment in a showcase setting. For St. Louis, it was an unwelcome flashpoint involving one of its pitchers on a stage meant to be about celebration, and the fallout showed how quickly a routine All-Star appearance can turn into a public relations headache. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Just Lost A Veteran Arm In A Familiar Weak Spot
Bruce Zimmermanns brief run with the Cardinals ended as quickly as it began, another reminder of how often the club has to churn through arms while trying to keep the staff afloat. The left-hander was designated for assignment after his lone major league appearance on July 7, then moved through the usual roster machinery as St. Louis continued a series of minor league transactions across the system.
The bigger picture for the Cardinals is that this is a familiar weak spot, even with some Triple-A depth to draw from. Quinn Mathews, Brycen Mautz, Hunter Dobbins and others give the organization options on paper, but the constant movement shows how little margin there is when an injury or short-term need opens a spot on the pitching staff. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Just Took Another Low-Risk Swing With Intriguing Power Upside
The Cardinals have added another low-cost lottery ticket to the organization, this time bringing in an outfielder with real pop from the college ranks. Tristan Bissettas final season at Ole Miss gave scouts something to latch onto, as he paired a .272/.382/.601 line with 23 home runs and showed the kind of power that can make a minor league deal look a lot more interesting than the label suggests.
Bissetta also comes with the usual questions that follow a big-swing bat, which is why this is the sort of move St. Louis can make without much downside. The club has quietly been building out its prospect depth in recent days, too, after recently adding catcher John Lemm, and these are the kinds of signings that can matter later if one of them finds a way to stick. [Read more 🡒]