ST. LOUIS -- Marco Gonzales is set to make his first Major League appearance since 2015, as the Cardinals confirmed on Sunday that the left-hander will be summoned from Triple-A Memphis to start the second game of Tuesday's day-night doubleheader against the Brewers.
After a missed season recovering from Tommy John surgery in 2016, Gonzales returned to the mound in early May. He made one start for Class A Advanced Palm Beach before moving on to Memphis. There, Gonzales had a 3.26 ERA, 1.154 WHIP, 24 strikeouts and nine walks in five starts.
Gonzales, who will be making Tuesday's start on six days' rest, was selected for the assignment over Luke Weaver.
"Both of them have thrown very well, but I would say more than anything else, over the long haul, [Gonzales'] stuff looked really good," manager Mike Matheny said. "He's been throwing the ball very well, and we know that he can be a big part of what we're doing around here when he's healthy."
Gonzales made his Major League debut in 2014 and went on to pitch in 16 games (five starts) for the Cardinals that season. That included six postseason appearances. Injuries have limited Gonzales to one big league appearance since.
Per Major League rules, clubs are permitted to add a 26th player to their roster for a doubleheader. Matheny kept the door open for additional moves, as well.
"We're considering it," he said. "Depending on what things look like, [we may] make some adjustments."
Outfielder Randal Grichuk, who was optioned on May 29, could be a candidate to return. Since joining Memphis on Friday, Grichuk is 3-for-9 with a double and walk-off single.
Cardinals add Gilmartin
The Cardinals made an outright waiver claim on Mets left-hander Sean Gilmartin on Sunday and subsequently assigned Gilmartin to Memphis.
Since posting a 2.67 ERA in 50 games during a strong 2015 rookie season, Gilmartin, 27, had struggled at the big league level. In 16 appearances from 2016-17, Gilmartin had a 8.14 ERA in 21 innings. That included five earned runs allowed in 3 1/3 innings this season.
The rest of Gilmartin's year has been spent with Triple-A Las Vegas, where the lefty had a 7.05 ERA and 1.784 WHIP in eight starts (37 innings). Las Vegas has the reputation of playing in one of the Minors' most hitting-friendly parks.
Molina sits again
Back stiffness, which surfaced after an uncomfortable night's sleep on Thursday, kept catcher Yadier Molina out of the Cardinals' lineup for a third straight day on Sunday.
"Just not quite where he hoped it would be," Matheny said. "I think we know that he works hard, plays hard, but he's really good at understanding himself when he needs a little more time. This is one of those periods where we'll get a little extra rest."
With an off-day ahead for the Cardinals on Monday, Molina will be getting four consecutive days off. Matheny noted that the Cardinals did not consider placing Molina on the 10-day disabled list and said he does expect Molina to be ready to start one of the doubleheader games on Tuesday.