ST. LOUIS – Brycen Mautz’s return to the Cardinals delivered a mixed outcome.
The Cardinals recalled Mautz, a left-hander, on Saturday and designated Caleb Ferguson for assignment.
Mautz piggybacked starter Kyle Leahy against the Pirates in a 6-2 loss as the team tries to limit Leahy’s innings, which have already surpassed his career high, while navigating a stretch of extended bullpen use.
“I think when you look at how we've tried to progress him and give him the right amount of touches, back-to-backs, three of four, like check all the boxes,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said of Mautz before the game. “We wanted to get him here at some point, but we wanted to make sure we checked a lot of those boxes, and it lines up where Leahy's going to be a super short outing today.”
Mautz gave up four runs on five hits and a walk in three innings. But he showed impressive swing-and miss as he became the first reliever in franchise history, and just the 11th in MLB history since at least 1898, to strike out eight in three innings or fewer.
“Definitely a decent amount to get excited about, because you look at the amount of swing-and-miss he created with the eight punchouts through three innings – that's impressive,” Marmol said. “But there's also some learning opportunities there, right?”
The first batter he faced set an ominous tone.
Jake Magnum greeted Mautz in the fourth with a little league triple. Magnum’s single skipped under Joshua Báez’s glove, allowing him to take second and third. Magnum was initially called out at third, but after a Pittsburgh challenge, he was ruled safe and he eventually scored on a Jacob Gonzalez single to give the Pirates a 2-1 lead.
But the big blow against Mautz came courtesy of Rafael Flores Jr. in the fifth, who blasted a 434-foot three-run homer into the left-center bleachers to make it 5-1.
“I put myself in some bad counts early, where I really had to make pitches, and yeah, not the ideal pitch [to Flores],” Mautz said. “I wanted to challenge him 3-2, but a little too good for a guy that high up in the lineup.”
Mautz did finish on a positive note, striking out the side in order in the sixth.
Mautz, 25, made his Major League debut against Milwaukee on May 25. He allowed a pair of runs in three innings in his start against the Brewers.
“Definitely more learned from the debut,” Mautz said. "I came out firing, trying to do too much right off the bat, thinking I had to prove something by trying extra hard. So, I was going to be more myself this time. Want to challenge guys off the bat and be a little looser.”
Mautz was the Cardinals’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2025. He is 1-6 with a 3.78 ERA in 31 appearances (16 starts) at Triple-A Memphis this season.
His last 15 appearances for the Redbirds have come in relief, which was by design.
“We didn't want to start the progression of being a reliever too soon because then you run into not having a large enough workload to be a starter the following year,” Marmol said. “So, when we decided to do it, it was strategic and being able to do both going into spring.”
Ferguson, a left-hander, was picked up from Cincinnati at the Trade Deadline. He appeared in nine games for the Cardinals and had an 8.64 ERA.
Leahy’s day was finished after three innings. He gave up four hits, struck out three, walked one and the one run he allowed came on a solo homer by Brandon Lowe in the first.
“Most teams right now would just shut him down,” Marmol said. “We phased it out where, based on where we're at, we can use him in two-to-three-inning stints, and keep him on a starter schedule.”
Báez evened the game at 1-all with a solo homer in the third. It was the 23-year-old rookie’s first career home run at Busch Stadium.
Cade Winquest made his Major League debut with two scoreless innings. He didn’t allow a hit, struck out two and walked one.
“I liked the way the ball came out of [his] hand,” Marmol said. “He seemed like he was in the moment and didn't make much of it.”