The St. Louis Cardinals have another All-Star on the way, and this one comes with a twist. Riley O’Brien was added as a replacement for the National League’s Midsummer Classic, giving the Cardinals a second first-time All-Star alongside Jordan Walker.
O’Brien’s selection comes after pitching schedules knocked out a trio of previously chosen players, opening the door for Jesús Luzardo, Riley O’Brien, and Braxton Ashcraft to be named as replacements for Jacob Misiorowski, Max Meyer, and Paul Skenes.
For O’Brien, the honor lands in the middle of a season that has already swung from promising to uneasy and back again. The 31-year-old right-hander was finally healthy and rolling early, then ran into some of the same control problems that have followed him at different points in his career.
Through his first 15.1 innings, O’Brien looked like a late-inning weapon. He had eight saves, an ERA a little above 1.00, 17 strikeouts, and only one walk in April.
May brought a different picture. He still picked up six saves, but he also walked three hitters, hit three more, and allowed seven earned runs over 10 innings.
That stretch led to real questions about whether his strong start was sustainable. Some fans even wondered if the Cardinals should consider moving him, especially with four years of control attached to him.
O’Brien, who has only just passed one year of service time after spending much of his professional career dealing with injuries, became a bigger topic in June as the command issues lingered. Over 10 innings that month, he collected seven more saves, but his 1.60 WHIP made nearly every outing tense.
Even so, the Cardinals’ bullpen has been shaky enough that O’Brien is not in much danger of losing the closer job. JoJo Romero looks like a trade candidate, Ryne Stanek had an injury scare during another heavy inning against the Brewers, and George Soriano has been effective but may need to be used in a firefighter role if Matt Svanson keeps struggling in the majors. Chaim Bloom has already brought in more arms for the final stretch before the break, but the relief group is still likely to keep changing as the season goes on.
O’Brien and Walker will head to Philadelphia for the All-Star festivities, though neither is guaranteed to see action in the game itself. With Oli Marmol on the National League coaching staff, the Cardinals manager could have a say in whether the two first-timers are used at all, especially if the goal is to keep them fresh for the second half. It would not be a surprise if both simply take the trip and use the week as a reset.
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