Now that Michael Wacha and Jaime Garcia are both on the disabled list with shoulder injuries, the Cardinals are calling up one of their top prospects to help bolster their starting rotation.
As first reported by television announcer Dan McLaughlin, the Cardinals are promoting left-hander Marco Gonzales. He’ll make his major league debut Wednesday against the Rockies at Coors Field.
It’s been a rapid rise for Gonzales, who was selected No. 19 overall out of Gonzaga in last June’s First-Year Player Draft. The 22-year-old owns a 2.08 ERA and 101/26 K/BB ratio over his first 99 2/3 innings in pro ball. He began this season with High-A Palm Beach and has thrived since a promotion to Double-A Springfield last month.
Gonzales might not be up for long depending on how things play out in the coming weeks, including Joe Kelly’s recovery from a hamstring strain, but the Cardinals clearly aren’t afraid to be aggressive with their young arms. In case you haven’t noticed, health is an unexact science for pitchers, so a contending team might as well use the best talent available if they feel they are ready for the responsibility.
