ST. LOUIS -- There was no shortage of moving parts for the Cardinals’ roster machinations leading into Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Brewers.
Before reporters got a chance to ask manager Oliver Marmol Tuesday morning for his perspective on a flurry of transactions that included optioning Ryan Fernandez to Triple-A Memphis and veteran left-hander Bruce Zimmermann joining the big league roster, they had to wait in the hallway for a few extra minutes.
Eventually, president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom emerged from Marmol’s office having ostensibly completed a planning session as the Cardinals continue to map out their path forward on a pitching plan -- not only for covering 18 innings during the day’s doubleheader, but also into the remainder of the final homestand before the All-Star break.
The Cardinals announced Matt Svanson as the starter for Game 1 opposite Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski. Hunter Dobbins was scheduled to start Game 2 as the 27th man.
A reliever by trade, Svanson served as an opener ahead of Zimmermann in a bulk relief role.
The decision to cobble together the Svanson-Zimmermann combo allows for Michael McGreevy’s start to be pushed to Wednesday, lining up that outing as his final start prior to the All-Star break.
“We wanted to buy McGreevy an extra day,” Marmol said. “Those guys have posted and done a nice job. Recovery is a real thing. Pushing him and [Andre] Pallante back is meaningful, so we wanted to do it.”
Marmol outlined the club’s theory that using the opener strategy ahead of Zimmermann might have bought the left-hander more favorable matchups in the Brewers starting lineup compared to how Brewers manager Pat Murphy might have handled his batting order had the Cardinals simply announced Zimmermann as the starter.
Despite not taking the ball first, Zimmermann was expected to see plenty of it in Tuesday’s Game 1.
“One hundred seventy-five pitches,” Marmol joked about Zimmermann’s prescribed pitch count.
A 31-year-old journeyman who has seen big league time with both Baltimore and Milwaukee in his five-year career, Zimmermann knows the drill -- and understands the assignment -- at this point.
“You know, it’s not my first time,” Zimmermann said. “So I’m used to the call-up roundabout, and doubleheaders or whatnot. But I’m grateful. Getting chances in the big leagues is obviously something you work for, and it’s why I still play the game.”
Zimmermann spending his allotment of pitches in Game 1 could set up further roster movement, perhaps helping to explain that additional time spent by Bloom in Marmol’s office on a busy Tuesday morning.
The Cards manager did not broach a quandary on whether intriguing relief prospect Luis Gastelum (Cards' No. 21) could be added to the roster as early as between games of Tuesday’s doubleheader.
The moving parts, which also included Max Rajcic being transferred to the 60-day injured list to make room on the 40-man roster for Zimmermann, should continue to churn as the Cardinals close out the rest of the week.