Cardinals' Spring Training Standout Set To Miss Time Due To Unfortunate Injury

St. Louis will be without the services of the intriguing reliever for a little bit

Feb 14, 2024; West Palm Beach, FL, USA; A detailed view of baseballs inside a bag during Houston / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals' bullpen already is a little thin.

St. Louis had a disappointing bullpen in 2023 and made a specific effort to improve it this past offseason. The Cardinals made multiple additions and seemed to be in a better place heading into the 2024 campaign.

The Cardinals are just four games into the new season but already are dealing with some injuries. One of the Cardinals' offseason additions to the bullpen is the latest to go down with injury.

St. Louis placed reliever Riley O’Brien on the Injured List due to an unfortunate flexor strain, according to the St. Louis Post Dispatch's Derrick Goold.

"Riley O’Brien goes on IL this morning, flexor strain," Goold said. "John King promoted from Class AAA (Memphis Redbirds)."

O'Brien was acquired by the Cardinals in a trade with the Seattle Mariners for cash considerations. It was unclear whether or not O'Brien would make St. Louis' Opening Day roster, but he was stellar throughout Spring Training and earned a spot.

The righty appeared in 10 games throughout the spring for the Cardinals and had a minuscule 0.90 ERA and 8-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 10 innings pitched.

It's unclear at this time how much time O'Brien will miss, but hopefully, it isn't very long. He has dealt with a plethora of injuries throughout his career and has appeared in just three big league games throughout his career to this point.

St. Louis' bullpen should still be in a better place than it was at the end of the 2023 campaign, but it is nerve-wracking that the club already is dealing with a handful of injuries.

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