The Cardinals recalled right-handed starter Hunter Dobbins on Monday and designated Matt Pushard for assignment, a move that gives them another arm from Memphis as they try to keep a thin bullpen from fraying further.
The timing fits a roster that has been in motion for days. Just before this move, the club added catcher Jimmy Crooks and outfielder Nelson Velazquez, and now it has turned back to the mound after another rough stretch of relief work. Pushard, a Rule 5 selection, had spent most of the year on the injured list and posted a 5.14 ERA in six appearances, which left little room for patience once the Cardinals decided they needed a change.
Chaim Bloom made the transaction as Pushard was sent off the active roster, and if he clears waivers unclaimed he would be offered back to the Miami Marlins. For Dobbins, the recall appears more like a temporary bridge than a role change. He was likely scheduled to start in Memphis on the day of the move, and he is available to provide innings if the Cardinals need him today or tomorrow.
That is where the shape of the move gets messy. Dobbins is a right-handed starter, and it would be hard to imagine the Cardinals using him as a reliever for long, even with their bullpen badly in need of answers beyond its top arms. The team has already shown patience with struggling relievers such as Matt Svanson and Justin Bruihl, but this swap reads more like another pass through the depth chart than a clean solution.
For now, the Cardinals have bought themselves an extra pitcher and a little more flexibility. What remains unsettled is whether Dobbins stays long enough to matter in the bullpen or simply makes one appearance and heads back to Memphis once the club reworks its relief alignment.
