Cardinals' Luke Weaver: Candidate for fifth starter job in 2017

Weaver, who started the first eight games of his major league career in 2016, is a candidate for the fifth starter job in the wake of Alex Reyes' season-ending elbow injury, Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com reports.

Analysis:

The 23-year-old right-hander had a rough introduction to the big leagues, going 1-4 with a 5.70 ERA, 1.60 WHIP and .311 average against over 36.1 innings. Nevertheless, after an impressive two-plus seasons in the Cardinals' organization that included a 15-9 record and 1.78 ERA over 38 starts, Weaver will have a chance to earn the job, with Michael Wacha and former closer Trevor Rosenthal also vying for the spot.