Cardinals DFA Hurler Less Than Month After Acquiring Him In Dylan Carlson Trade

St. Louis is moving on from the veteran reliever

Aug 5, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Shawn Armstrong (30) pitches against the New York Mets during the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals are approaching the final month of their season and are actively making adjustments to better their chances of winning.

For instance, Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman was recently demoted to Triple-A Memphis after inconsistent production at the plate -- José Fermín was recalled to take his place on the active roster.

The Cardinals need only their best playing at this point in the season. That said, a recently acquired hurler was deemed not good enough to be in St. Louis' bullpen after the latest move made by the franchise.

Cardinals right-handed pitcher Shawn Armstrong was designated for assignment Tuesday after spending less than a month with the club. In a corresponding move, RHP Riley O'Brien was recalled from Triple-A Memphis.

Armstrong was acquired at this summer's trade deadline in a deal that sent former Cardinals first-round pick Dylan Carlson -- who is playing much better since leaving St. Louis -- to the Tampa Bay Rays.

The 33-year-old logged a 1-0 record with a 2.84 ERA, 12-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .234 batting average against and a 1.03 WHIP in 12 2/3 innings pitched for St. Louis throughout August.

The move was made to open a spot for O'Brien, who hasn't pitched since Opening Day after landing on the injured list due to a right forearm flexor strain. Also, the impending returns of Lance Lynn and Steven Matz will create a cluster on the roster, so eliminating Armstrong from the picture makes their comebacks simpler.

O'Brien has a respectable track record in the minors and it should be interesting to see how he performs after being out for so long.

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