St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley has been placed on the 15-day IL with a right forearm strain. The move is retroactive to June 10. In a corresponding move, right-hander Jake Woodford has been promoted from Triple-A Memphis.
Ryan Helsley Heads to IL
Helsley, who had not appeared in a game since June 7, is 7-for-11 in save opportunities this year with a 3.24 ERA. He began the year as the Cardinals’ primary ninth-inning arm but later conceded that role to Giovanny Gallegos, who leads the team with eight saves. The results have not been up to par with Helsley’s All-Star season of 2022. Despite this, his peripheral stats still look good. Helsley’s xERA is 2.12. This is more than a full run lower than his actual ERA and very similar to the 2.04 xERA he posted last season. Helsley’s fastball velocity and spin rate rank in the 99th and 100th percentiles, respectively. Helsley is still the same dominant pitcher he was in 2022, but the results do not show it quite yet. His absence until at least June 25 is a massive blow to the Cardinals’ bullpen.
Jake Woodford: What to Expect
Woodford appeared in St. Louis earlier this season as a starter but figures to reinforce the bullpen this time around. He made six starts in April, pitching to a 5.40 ERA. In his lone relief appearance against the Los Angeles Angels, he threw 1 2/3 innings, surrendering one unearned run. In three starts at Memphis since suffering an injury of his own, Woodford threw eight innings with an ERA of 3.38. Woodford primarily uses his sinker and relies on soft contact to get outs. He could be used most effectively in a long-relief or low-leverage role.
Bullpen Roles Reshuffled
With Helsley out, Gallegos is likely to assume primary closing duties. Manager Oliver Marmol had recently shown a preference for Gallegos anyway, with the 31-year-old recording five of the Cardinals’ last seven saves. Gallegos has succeeded in a high-leverage role all year. Apart from two outings where he surrendered a total of seven runs, Gallegos has yielded only three runs in 24 innings. Expect Gallegos to continue picking up more save opportunities.
Additionally, Jordan Hicks, Andre Pallante, and Drew VerHagen each have the potential to see more high-leverage situations in the wake of Helsley’s absence. VerHagen leads the team in holds with seven while Hicks and Pallante have five apiece.
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