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Cardinals' Riley O'Brien: Scoreless frame in spring debut
Rotowire
O'Brien (calf) worked around a walk and a base hit to deliver a scoreless inning of relief Saturday in the Cardinals' 3-2 loss to the Mets in Grapefruit League play.
A mild right calf strain suffered early in camp was enough to prevent O'Brien from pitching for Team South Korea in the World Baseball Classic, but after delivering a scoreless inning in his spring debut Saturday, the 31-year-old righty looks like he'll be ready to go for the start of the regular season. After the Cardinals dealt away Ryan Helsley last July, O'Brien moved into a higher-leverage role and collected four of the team's final five save chances of the 2025 campaign. With St. Louis making no major additions to its bullpen over the winter, O'Brien could head into Opening Day as the Cardinals' top option to close games, though manager Oliver Marmol may prefer to take a committee approach to the ninth inning with JoJo Romero and potentially Matt Svanson also in the mix.
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Cardinals' Riley O'Brien: Aiming for spring outing Saturday
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O'Brien (calf) will throw another live batting practice session Thursday and hopes to make his Grapefruit League debut Saturday, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
O'Brien got through a live batting practice session Monday healthy, though he had trouble with his footing due to a wet mound. He'll face hitters in a shorter live BP session Thursday before progressing to game action. O'Brien has been battling a minor calf strain but is expected to have enough time to prep for Opening Day, barring setbacks. He is in the mix to serve as closer for the Cardinals this season.
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Cardinals' Riley O'Brien: On track for spring debut Friday
Rotowire
O'Brien (calf) is tentatively scheduled to make his Grapefruit League debut Friday against the Orioles, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
The right-hander has been slowed in Cardinals camp by a mild right calf strain. O'Brien got through a live batting practice session Monday with no issues, and as long as he bounces back well, he'll get into game action Friday. The hard-throwing O'Brien is competing to open the season as St. Louis' closer.
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Cardinals' Riley O'Brien: Bullpen session Tuesday
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O'Brien (calf) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Tuesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
It will be the first time O'Brien has thrown from the mound since he went down with a minor right calf strain a week ago. The injury is expected to prevent the reliever from pitching for Team South Korea in the World Baseball Classic, but O'Brien should not have trouble ramping up in time for Opening Day if he can avoid setbacks.
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Cardinals' Riley O'Brien: Out for WBC with mild calf strain
Rotowire
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Friday that O'Brien will be shut down for a few days due to a mild right calf strain, Brian Murphy of MLB.com reports.
It will take a couple weeks for O'Brien to ramp things back up, so it will be at least the beginning of March before he's ready to pitch in spring training games. O'Brien is also now unlikely to pitch for Team South Korea in the World Baseball Classic, though he will remain in the player pool in case there's a chance he can be added later. The injury could also affect O'Brien's chances at opening the season as the Cardinals' closer. He is in the mix for saves with JoJo Romero and perhaps Matt Svanson.
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Cardinals' Riley O'Brien: Nursing sore calf
Rotowire
O'Brien is managing calf soreness that is being evaluated Tuesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
It's unclear exactly how O'Brien sustained the injury, but it puts his availability in question for Team South Korea for the upcoming World Baseball Classic. After recording six saves and six holds with a 2.06 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 45:22 K:BB over 48 innings last year, the 31-year-old righty is expected to be in the mix for saves to begin the year for St. Louis.
O'Brien struck out the only batter he faced to earn the save in Tuesday's 9-8 win over the Giants.
JoJo Romero faced the minimum three batters in the ninth inning, leaving with two outs and Matt Chapman on second base after a double. O'Brien came in and struck out pinch hitter Wilmer Flores on five pitches to strand the tying runner. This was O'Brien's sixth save of the year, all of which have come since Ryan Helsley was traded to the Mets. For the season, O'Brien has added six holds while maintaining a 1.96 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 43:21 K:BB through 46 innings.
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Cardinals' Riley O'Brien: Notches save No. 5
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O'Brien picked up the save in Tuesday's 3-0 win against the Reds, striking out one in a perfect ninth inning.
With JoJo Romero handling the eighth against the bottom of Cincy's order, O'Brien was entrusted with a three-run lead in the ninth and made quick work of the Reds' 2-3-4 hitters, needing just nine pitches to lock down his fifth save of the year. It marked the right-hander's third save in his last five appearances. The 30-year-old sports a 2.08 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 41:20 K:BB across 43.1 innings this season.
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Cardinals' Riley O'Brien: Pulled from save opportunity
Rotowire
O'Brien was charged with three runs and pulled from a save chance without recording an out in Saturday's loss to the Brewers.
The Cardinals turned to O'Brien with a three-run lead in the bottom of the ninth inning, and he allowed four straight batters to reach -- the first two via hit-by-pitch -- before being lifted. Kyle Leahy then came on and allowed one of two inherited runners to score, adding another run to O'Brien's ledger. The three earned runs charged to O'Brien match the number he had allowed over his previous 29 appearances combined. He should remain in the mix for saves for St. Louis down the stretch.
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Cardinals' Riley O'Brien: Secures fourth save
Rotowire
O'Brien picked up the save in Sunday's 3-1 win at Milwaukee, allowing one walk and no hits over a scoreless inning with two strikeouts.
The 30-year-old worked around a two-out walk to collect his second save of the month. O'Brien, who fired 10 of his 16 total pitches for strikes, got the ninth after JoJo Romero pitched a scoreless frame in the eighth against the heart of the Brewers lineup. Although Romero is likely to draw the majority of save opportunities, St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol has shown no hesitation in employing O'Brien when the situation arises. The righty reliever now sports a 2.13 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 40:20 K:BB in 42.1 total innings.
O'Brien earned the save in Sunday's 4-3 win over the Giants, allowing one hit in a scoreless ninth.
With JoJo Romero being deployed in the eighth inning, the Cardinals turned to O'Brien -- who was credited with the win Saturday -- to close things out in the ninth. O'Brien gave up a single to open the inning, but he got out of the frame unscathed after getting Patrick Bailey to ground into a double play. O'Brien has not yielded a run in nine of his last 10 outings and sports a 1.60 ERA and 1.09 WHIP across 39.1 innings this season.
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Cardinals' Riley O'Brien: Picks up win in return appearance
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O'Brien (3-0) struck out one in a scoreless frame and was credited with a win in Saturday's victory over the Giants.
O'Brien missed more than a week of action with right shoulder discomfort, but he showed no ill effects Saturday, displaying his normal velocity and needing only eight pitches to retire the Giants in order in the top of the ninth. The reliever picked up his third win of the season after the Cardinals rallied for three runs to walk it off in the bottom of the frame. As long as he stays healthy, O'Brien will remain in the late-inning mix for St. Louis.
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Cardinals' Riley O'Brien: Could be available this weekend
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The Cardinals are hopeful O'Brien (shoulder) will be available to pitch Friday against the Giants, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
O'Brien hasn't pitched in a week due to lingering right shoulder soreness, but he played catch earlier this week and could be cleared for game action after the team's off day Thursday. The 30-year-old collected two saves and three holds in August and boasts a 1.69 ERA and 35:17 K:BB over 37.1 innings this season.
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Cardinals' Riley O'Brien: Plays catch, could avoid IL
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O'Brien (shoulder) was cleared to play catch Monday and could avoid the 15-day injured list, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
O'Brien underwent an MRI on Monday due to lingering right shoulder discomfort, but the Cardinals were encouraged by the imaging results and the reliever was allowed to resume throwing. While a stint on the IL has not been ruled out, O'Brien will be given a couple days to continue to recover to see if a long-term absence can be avoided. The 30-year-old has emerged as a late-inning bullpen arm for St. Louis this season, collecting a 1.69 ERA and 35:17 K:BB over 37.1 innings while notching two saves.
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Cardinals' Riley O'Brien: Shut down from throwing
Rotowire
O'Brien will be shut down from throwing after undergoing an MRI on his sore right shoulder Monday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
The Cardinals have yet to provide word on the results of the MRI, but a move to the 15-day injured list for O'Brien feels inevitable. O'Brien has been used as a high-leverage reliever for the Cardinals over the last couple months and picked up a pair of saves in August, but now his health status is murky. JoJo Romero is the favorite to close games for the Cardinals in September, with Kyle Leahy also in the mix.
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Cardinals' Riley O'Brien: Could require IL stint
Rotowire
O'Brien has dealt with fatigue in his right shoulder area in recent days and is set to be examined by a doctor Monday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
According to Goold, the Cardinals are weighing whether to place O'Brien on the injured list, and the results of his upcoming exam will likely be vital in that decision. With the active roster expanding to 28 players Monday, the Cardinals are likely to call up at least one pitcher from the minors, and the team could bring another relief arm aboard if O'Brien heads to the IL in a corresponding move. Since the beginning of June, O'Brien has performed as one of the Cardinals' top relievers, logging two wins, two saves and five holds while pitching to a 1.04 ERA and 1.07 WHIP over 34.2 innings.
O'Brien (2-0) blew a save but earned the victory over the Pirates on Monday, allowing one run on one hit and striking out one batter over 1.2 innings.
O'Brien entered with one out in the eighth inning after JoJo Romero allowed a pair of runners to reach base. O'Brien escaped the jam by inducing an inning-ending double play, and he returned for the ninth to try to finish off the save. However, the right-hander was unable to do so, giving up an RBI double after hitting a batter with a pitch. O'Brien did manage to limit the damage to that one run, and he was credited with the victory when Alec Burleson crushed a walk-off homer in the bottom of the frame. Despite the blown save, it's notable that O'Brien cleaned up Romero's small mess, as the pair has been working as co-closers since Ryan Helsley was dealt to the Mets at the trade deadline.
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