A big question mark for the Cardinals in 2019 will be how to use Alex Reyes. His potential as a starter is undeniable, but he hasn’t been able to stay healthy either. After missing all but one start in 2018, it will be interesting to see where the Redbirds decide to slot Reyes on opening day.
Clearly, Spring Training will be a telling time. If Reyes is able to pitch regularly with no problems, he may get a shot at the rotation. On the other hand, if he has any discomfort and requires extra rest and a small workload, he may end up in the pen.
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Presumably, the Cardinals future plans for Reyes include him as a starter. However, his health has been a huge setback. After coming up in 2016 and being absolutely dominant in 12 games, five starts, the team had high hopes for him in 2017. Unfortunately, those hopes were slashed before the season ever started. Reyes suffered an elbow injury that led to Tommy John surgery, sidelining him for the entire season.
Things weren’t all bad though. Reyes still had a chance to get back healthy by the early part of 2018 and contribute in the rotation. The Cardinals were extra careful in his rehab, not rushing him back, and didn’t put him on the mound until they were completely confident in his elbow. When he finally got to make his first start in over a year, disaster struck again. This time not with his arm, but with his back. He was removed from the start after four innings with an apparent injury and later underwent season-ending surgery.
Ultimately 2018 was just as lost as 2017 for the Cards number one prospect. Fortunately though, by the time pitcher’s and catcher’s report to Jupiter, Florida Reyes will have been over seven months removed from his injury. This should be plenty of time for him to get back to 100 percent before the start of the season.
The first three rotation spots have already been dealt to Mikolas, Flaherty and Martinez. Michael Wacha, if healthy, seems to make sense for the fourth spot. The final slot is still somewhat open though. Adam Wainwright will be given every opportunity early, but his health or lack of performance could also be an issue, leaving the door open for Reyes.
Even if Waino does have a decent season and is able to stay healthy, he and Reyes could split starts. That may be the best way to maximize each of their potential for the 2019 season. It would allow both of them extra days in between starts, which would only be beneficial as they’re each coming off injury-plagued seasons. That allows the Cards to ease Reyes back into the rotation, as well as ease Waino out of it, in what could be his final season.
If that doesn’t work out, it seems inevitable that someone will get hurt. Rarely does a team, especially one with Carlos Martinez, Michael Wacha and an aging Adam Wainwright, go through an entire season without a starting pitcher missing time. In this case, Reyes is a good candidate to slide into the open spot, hopefully without missing a beat.
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Even though John Mozeliak and company plan to use Reyes as a starter in the future, they might want to pull back on the reigns in 2019. That would most likely mean sending him out to the bullpen, allowing them to fully utilize him while still managing his workload.
Reyes was effective out of the pen back in 2016 and has the ability to be one of the Cards best options this season. His dominant fastball and excellent secondary pitches even make him a candidate to close out games.
However, if he is sent to the bullpen, it’s unlikely that he’ll be called on 60 plus times this year. Should his arm and back feel fine he could see extra work towards the end of the year. But moving him to the bullpen and then using him four or five times a week would be counterintuitive.
After re-signing Adam Wainwright and reaching an agreement with Michael Wacha on a one year deal, it’s hard to expect Reyes to be in the rotation on Opening Day. It seems more likely that he will start the season as a reliever. Beyond that, if he looks healthy, he could make the jump to the rotation in the case of injury or poor performance. As for right now though, it’s safe to expect Reyes to begin the year in the bullpen.
Featured Image by Jeff Curry of USA Today Sports
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