Edward Mujica pitched himself out of the Cardinals’ closer role and was so shaky down the stretch that there was speculation about leaving him off the playoff roster, but he’ll be part of the bullpen for the NLDS.
Mujica has struggled with shoulder problems and allowed opponents to hit .514 in September, giving up runs in six of his 10 outings on the way to an 11.05 ERA for the month. It’s hard to imagine the Cardinals using him in a high-leverage situation, so perhaps they’re hoping a mop-up appearance or two could make him a semi-reliable option later in the playoffs.
Trevor Rosenthal converted three straight save appearances to finish the season after replacing Mujica in the ninth inning and the 23-year-old rookie posted a 2.63 ERA with 108 strikeouts in 75 innings overall.
