Rosenthal out as Cardinals closer
For the first time since 2013, the St. Louis Cardinals will have someone other than Trevor Rosenthal handling the ninth inning, at least temporarily, as manager Mike Matheny removed the scuffling 26-year-old from the closer role ahead of Saturday's game, reports MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch.
For now, Matheny said, the Cardinals will spread the save opportunities around, with Korean rookie Seung Hwan Oh, left-hander Kevin Siegrist, and veteran Jonathan Broxton each expected to get ninth-inning chances.
Fantasy Fallout: Oh should see save chances for Cards
Rosenthal, who leads the majors with 107 saves since the start of 2014 and earned his first career All-Star appearance last year, has struggled mightily this season, posting a career-worst 5.63 ERA with a 2.04 WHIP in 29 appearances. In 24 innings so far, Rosenthal owns a 30.3 percent strikeout rate, his best since 2013, but his 17.7 percent walk rate in second-worst among qualified relievers, while his .292 batting average against is seventh-highest in the National League.
| Season | ERA | K-BB% | HR/9 | Exit Velo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 2.63 | 28.3% | 0.48 | - |
| 2014 | 3.20 | 14.6% | 0.26 | - |
| 2015 | 2.10 | 20.2% | 0.39 | 87.4 MPH |
| 2016 | 5.63 | 12.6% | 1.13 | 91.2 MPH |
On Friday, the hard-throwing right-hander blew his third save in 17 chances this year, serving up a walk-off, three-run homer to Adam Lind en route to a 4-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field.
"I went out there and did my best, gave it everything I've got," said Rosenthal. "I thought I was making some good pitches and it just kind of happened. It's not fun doing that, but I felt like I had good stuff."