The Cardinals’ bullpen moves on Tuesday came with the kind of urgency that has defined their relief corps all season. As St. Louis prepared for a doubleheader against the Milwaukee Brewers, the club selected left-hander Bruce Zimmermann and Hunter Dobbins from Triple-A.
Zimmermann, 31, had earned the look with a 3.78 ERA across 78 2/3 innings in 15 starts at Memphis. He got the ball quickly in long relief during the first game and worked five innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits with two strikeouts in his first big-league appearance of 2026.
That was the extent of his Cardinals career.
Hours later, between games of the twin bill, the team designated Zimmermann for assignment and recalled left-hander Jared Shuster. The 27-year-old had signed a minor-league deal with St. Louis last offseason and had already made four appearances this year, posting a 2.35 ERA over 7 2/3 innings.
Against Milwaukee, however, Shuster’s night unraveled in a hurry. He lasted just 1 1/3 innings, surrendering seven earned runs on five hits and three walks. The outing did nothing to quiet the questions that have followed the Cardinals’ relief staff for months.
St. Louis has repeatedly turned to the farm system in search of answers, cycling through arms while the bullpen has remained one of the club’s most inconsistent units. Now it appears the organization is finally giving pitching prospect Luis Gastelum a chance at the big-league level as well, part of the same wave of roster activity aimed at stabilizing the group.
For Zimmermann, the window closed almost as fast as it opened. With no minor-league options remaining, the veteran lefty heads to waivers. He could clear and return to the organization, but given the need for pitching depth around the league, there’s a realistic chance another club claims him. Either way, his time in a Cardinals uniform proved shorter than anyone involved likely expected when the call came Tuesday morning.
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