The Cardinals are turning to a new arm at a time when their bullpen has been stretched thin.
St. Louis has had some dependable relief options this season, including Riley O'Brien, JoJo Romero, George Soriano and Gordon Graceffo, but the group as a whole has not been airtight. The bullpen enters this move ranked 17th in the league with a 4.17 ERA, and the club has spent the last few weeks weighing internal help rather than chasing a trade-market fix.
That internal answer appears to be Luis Gastelum. On Tuesday morning, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reported that the Cardinals are promoting the 24-year-old right-hander for his MLB debut ahead of Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Milwaukee Brewers.
"Good morning. Cardinals are promoting Luis Gastelum for his MLB debut ahead of today’s doubleheader, a source with direct knowledge says. Will require a 40-man spot as well as an active roster spot," Jones wrote.
Gastelum’s arrival comes with the bullpen taking another hit. Lefty reliever Justin Bruihl left Monday night’s game early with a sprained ankle after stumbling off the mound in the seventh inning while trying to throw a runner out at first base.
That’s a tough loss for St. Louis because Bruihl had quietly stabilized his season after a rough start.
He owns a 3.70 ERA in 39 appearances, and over his last 15 outings he posted a 1.89 ERA across 19 innings.
The Cardinals also lost another reliever Monday when they announced Max Rajcic was going on the Injured List with a right elbow injury.
With the group thinned out, Gastelum gets his shot. He was sharp in Triple-A this season, putting up a 2.27 ERA in 36 outings, and he had been the name most often mentioned as a possible bullpen boost.
His climb has been steady since he made his professional debut in 2023. Before 2025, he had not pitched above Class-A.
He spent all of 2025 in Double-A, then moved to Triple-A this year, and now he’s headed to the majors.
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