The Cardinals are getting their top prospect back. Right-hander Alex Reyes will finish serving his 50-game suspension on Sunday, and St. Louis general manager John Mozeliak said Wednesday that Reyes will be added to Triple-A Memphis' roster and will start Sunday's game for the Redbirds.
Reyes, ranked the team's No. 1 prospect and the No. 11 overall prospect in baseball by MLBPipeline.com, was expected to be a part of the Cards' rotation plans this season, but he was suspended 50 games after a second positive drug test, for marijuana, last November.
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While serving his suspension, the 21-year-old Reyes has been pitching in extended spring camp games for the past six weeks. He is fully stretched out, so when he starts at Triple-A on Sunday, he will not be restricted to a lower pitch count.
Reyes issued a public apology for his actions in January. After a 2015 season in which he posted a 2.49 ERA and 151 strikeouts in 101 1/3 innings between three Minor League levels, advancing as high as Double-A, he missed out on a chance to attend Major League camp this spring due to his suspension.
"I'm honestly disappointed in myself," Reyes said in January. "It was a huge mistake I'm learning about. I'm learning how to get past it. It's been tough dealing with the problems and everything. I'm looking forward to next season and just putting this behind me and turning the chapter on this."