Romero to Injured List as Cardinals Add Scott Blewett, DFA Yohel Pozo

Romero to Injured List as Cardinals Add Scott Blewett, DFA Yohel Pozo

The Cardinal Chronicle
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

The St. Louis Cardinals were forced into another roster shuffle Friday, placing left-handed reliever JoJo Romero on the 15-day injured list due to appendicitis.

According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals are purchasing the contract of right-hander Scott Blewett from Triple-A Memphis. To clear a spot on the 40-man roster, St. Louis designated catcher and first baseman Yohel Pozo for assignment.

The first concern is Romero’s health.

Romero has been one of the Cardinals’ most important left-handed relief options, and appendicitis is not the kind of issue that fits cleanly into a baseball timetable. The Cardinals will have to wait and see how quickly he recovers, but even a short absence removes a key late-inning arm from a bullpen that has already had to absorb plenty of stress this season.

From a roster standpoint, the move creates another immediate depth issue.

Romero’s absence leaves the Cardinals without one of their trusted left-handed relievers. That puts more pressure on the rest of the bullpen and forces manager Oliver Marmol to adjust how he handles matchups in the late innings.

The corresponding move brings Blewett back into the picture at the major-league level.

Blewett had exercised an opt-out in his minor-league deal earlier this week, but the Cardinals retained the right to promote him rather than lose him from the organization. With Romero heading to the injured list, St. Louis moved quickly and selected Blewett’s contract from Memphis.

Blewett, 29, gives the Cardinals another experienced right-handed arm and some needed bullpen coverage. At Triple-A Memphis this season, he posted a 5.18 ERA with 63 strikeouts and 19 walks over 48.2 innings.

The numbers are not overwhelming, but the timing matters.

The Cardinals needed an arm. Blewett had an opt-out decision in play. The club had the ability to add him to the major-league roster, and now it has done exactly that.

That is how roster pressure works in July.

One injury can change the bullpen picture. One opt-out can force a decision. One 40-man spot can determine which depth piece stays and which one goes.

In this case, Pozo became the roster casualty.

Pozo had value as a right-handed bat with some defensive flexibility. He has caught, played first base and served as a designated hitter, giving the Cardinals a useful depth option in an organization that has carried several catcher-type players on the 40-man roster.

But when a pitching need becomes immediate, those depth pieces can become vulnerable.

The Cardinals already had a crowded catching situation with Pedro Pagés, Jimmy Crooks, Leo Bernal and others in the organization’s plans. With Ivan Herrera also still part of the catching and designated hitter equation, Pozo’s path to a lasting role in St. Louis was never especially clear.

That does not make the move meaningless.

Pozo represented coverage. He represented insurance. He represented a right-handed bat the Cardinals could turn to if injuries or roster needs created an opening.

Now he is off the 40-man roster, and the Cardinals will wait to see if he clears waivers or finds an opportunity elsewhere.

The larger issue is what this move says about the current roster.

The Cardinals have spent much of the season navigating the thin line between development, depth and immediate need. They have already had to make several short-term pitching moves, and Romero’s injury only adds to the pressure.

Blewett gives them another arm.

But losing Romero, even temporarily, is a real hit.

For a team trying to stay competitive while also managing the bigger picture, these are the kinds of roster decisions that pile up. None of them may seem franchise-changing by themselves, but collectively they tell the story of a club trying to cover innings, protect the bullpen and keep enough depth available to survive the grind.

The Cardinals needed a pitcher.

They added Blewett.

To make room, they moved on from Pozo.

Now the attention turns to Romero’s recovery and whether the bullpen can absorb another absence without creating more strain somewhere else.

The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports & MiLB Today
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Photo Credit: JoJo Romero, St. Louis Cardinals | MLB