The Cardinals are turning to a fresh arm as they prepare to face the Pirates on Saturday afternoon, and the move comes at Caleb Ferguson’s expense.
St. Louis announced that left-hander Brycen Mautz has been recalled from Memphis, while Ferguson has been designated for assignment.
The club put it plainly: "LHP Brycen Mautz has been recalled from Memphis (AAA)," the Cardinals announced. "LHP Caleb Ferguson has been designated for assignment."
Mautz, 25, got his first taste of the majors in May during what has been a breakout season. He made one appearance for St.
Louis on May 25 against the Milwaukee Brewers, working out of the bullpen and giving up two runs over three innings. The rest of his year has mostly been spent with Triple-A Memphis, where he’s put together a 3.78 ERA and an 89-to-65 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 85 2/3 innings.
In all, he has pitched in 31 games for the Redbirds, including 16 starts.
His role has shifted as the season has gone on. Mautz began the year in Memphis’ rotation, but over the last few months he has been moving into relief.
His last 15 outings have all come from the bullpen, and now he gets another shot to help St. Louis there.
Ferguson’s Cardinals stint ends after only nine games. He was picked up from the Cincinnati Reds in a last-minute deal before the 2026 trade deadline, with St.
Louis sending $250,000 in international bonus space to complete the trade. The move was supposed to give the Cardinals a needed bullpen boost, but it never clicked.
In 8 1/3 innings with St. Louis, Ferguson posted an 8.64 ERA with a 9-to-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Before the trade, he had worked to a 4.01 ERA in 26 appearances for Cincinnati. That level of production never carried over once he joined the Cardinals.
For a bullpen that has been a problem all season, the Cardinals are trying another option. This time, the door opens for Mautz.
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