Prospect Blazek returns to St. Louis bullpen

ST. LOUIS -- The Cardinals added another fresh arm to their bullpen Wednesday, recalling right-hander Michael Blazek to fill the roster spot vacated by Carlos Martinez.

Blazek, the Cardinals' fifth-ranked prospect on MLB.com, saw immediate action, entering in the seventh inning of a 10-0 loss to the Reds and throwing 1 2/3 innings blemished by only a walk. He has pitched in 11 games for St. Louis this year, striking out 10 batters in 10 1/3 innings. With Triple-A Memphis, Blazek was 1-2 with a 2.77 ERA and two saves in 19 games (26 innings).

Before the callup, Blazek last pitched for the Cardinals on Aug. 10, allowing one earned run on two hits and a walk in the ninth inning of a 6-5 loss to the Cubs. The righty has primarily appeared in low-leverage situations, pitching in mostly lopsided wins and losses.

"I'm just ready to get in there and just do [well] and help as much as I can," Blazek said before the game. "I'll just kind of go with the flow, and whenever they call me, I'll go out there and do my best."