Cardinals Phenom Michael McGreevy Gets Ominous Update

The St. Louis Cardinals appear to have a young guy at their disposal right now who could help the starting rotation for years to come.

That’s aggressive, but Michael McGreevy has been stellar in the minor leagues this season with a 2.51 ERA in 12 starts with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds. He turned heads in Spring Training to the point where it seemed like he had a chance to make the big league roster right out of camp. McGreevy didn’t, but he has made four appearances with St. Louis -- including three starts -- and has a 4.22 ERA.

While this is the case, he was recently optioned back down to the minors after taking on the Chicago Cubs this week. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Derrick Goold addressed the move noting the club has just two options left and shared that the club isn’t near a decision to fully bring him up to the big leagues yet.

"Teams are also limited to optioning a player five times in a single season before they must pass through waivers," Goold said. "Wednesday’s option was McGreevy’s third. He pitched 4 2/3 innings for a no-decision Tuesday night, and he has been superb in three starts for the Cardinals and four appearances, three of which have been against the Dodgers, Cubs and Mets. McGreevy has a 4.22 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 21 1/3 innings in the majors, and he’s 7-1 with a 2.51 ERA in a dozen Triple-A starts.

"Asked if the team is nearing a point where they have to decide where McGreevy fits in the majors, Marmol said: 'We’re not there yet,'"

If you are someone who has been clamoring for McGreevy to get a consistent look in the majors, you will be disappointed. He will get a consistent chance at some point, but it's not imminent.