Cardinals activate pitcher from IL before Braves clash

The St. Louis Cardinals announced two roster moves before their game on Tuesday night against the Atlanta Braves. Right-handed pitcher Ryan Fernandez is being activated from the 15-day injured list while Ryan Stanek was placed on the paternity list.

Fernandez, 28, has pitched well in 2026. However, the right-handed reliever has appeared in only seven games. Nevertheless, he holds a stellar 1.86 ERA during that span.

Fernandez made his MLB debut in 2024 with St. Louis. He impressed overall, as he turned in a respectable 3.51 ERA out of the bullpen. In 2025, though, Fernandez finished the season with a 7.71 ERA across 32 outings.

It seems as if he was getting back on track before landing on the IL due to lower back pain. He will be an important reliever moving forward for a Cardinals team that has upset expectations in 2026. It will be interesting to see what his specific bullpen role ends up being.

While Fernandez’s return will help the bullpen, St. Louis needs more overall pitching depth. The Cardinals could look to acquire a pitcher or two before the MLB trade deadline.

At the moment, St. Louis is 43-38 overall this season. The ball club is in third place in the National League Central standings, where they trail the Milwaukee Brewers by 7.5 games for first place. They do hold the final NL Wild Card spot right now, though.

The Cardinals are currently preparing to begin a three-game series against the Braves on Tuesday night. First pitch for the contest on Tuesday is scheduled for 7:15 PM EST in Atlanta.