Cardinals' JoJo Romero: To start throwing next week
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Romero (forearm) is slated to begin a throwing program next week, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Romero landed on the 15-day injured list during the final week of the regular season due to left forearm inflammation. However, as long as he can avoid setbacks, it would appear he is in line for his normal offseason routine. Romero held a 3.36 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 51:16 K:BB over 59 innings for the Cardinals during the 2024 regular season.
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Cardinals' JoJo Romero: To IL with forearm inflammation
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The Cardinals placed Romero on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with left forearm flexor inflammation.
Romero doesn't appear to be dealing with any structural damage to his pitching arm, but the injury will prematurely end his 2024 campaign. The setup man enjoyed a successful season, finishing with a 3.36 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 51:16 K:BB over 59 innings. He scooped up seven wins and was credited with 30 holds and one save.
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Cardinals' JoJo Romero: Stuck with loss Thursday
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Romero (7-3) allowed a run on one hit and one walk over two-thirds of an inning, taking the loss Thursday versus the Pirates.
Romero put two runners on base in the eighth inning, and Ryan Fernandez allowed one of them to score after he entered the game. Over six innings in September, Romero has allowed two runs on six hits and three walks, a slight fade in performance from his level throughout the year. He's now at a 2.76 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 51:15 K:BB through 58.2 innings while adding a save, eight blown saves and 30 holds.
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Cardinals' JoJo Romero: Grabs first save
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Romero earned the save in Thursday's 6-1 win over Cincinnati, allowing two hits over 1.1 scoreless innings.
Romero recorded the final out in the eighth inning, preserving a 3-1 Cardinals lead, before St. Louis added a couple of insurance runs in the bottom half of the frame. Romero would come back out in the ninth, sealing the win to earn his first save this season. While the left-hander won't overtake Ryan Helsley for the closing job, he's been reliable in a setup role this season and has held opponents to just one run in his last six appearances (five innings). Romero now sports a 2.65 ERA through 57.2 innings this year with a 1.08 WHIP and 51:14 K:BB.
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Cardinals' JoJo Romero: Grabs win over Reds
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Romero (7-2) struck out one and didn't allow a baserunner over two-thirds of an inning to earn the win Wednesday over the Reds.
Romero got the last two outs in the top of the eighth inning, and the Cardinals pulled ahead in their half of the frame. The setup man has two wins and a blown save over five appearances (3.2 innings) in September. Romero has posted a 2.72 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 51:14 K:BB through 56.1 innings this season, and he's added 30 holds and eight blown saves while seeing steady high-leverage work.
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Cardinals' JoJo Romero: Secures sixth win
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Romero (6-2) allowed a hit and a walk while striking out three over 1.1 scoreless innings to earn the win over the Yankees on Sunday.
Romero became the pitcher of record after the Cardinals rallied for five runs in the top of the seventh inning. He allowed four runs over 9.1 innings in August, adding four holds and two blown saves in a setup role. For the year, Romero has a 2.67 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 49:13 K:BB with 30 holds over 54 innings as the Cardinals' top lefty reliever.
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Cardinals' JoJo Romero: Handed loss Thursday
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Romero (5-2) allowed one run on one hit over 1.1 innings Thursday to take the loss versus the Rays.
Romero also allowed an inherited runner to score on a two-run home run by Brandon Lowe, which put the Rays ahead for good. Since the start of July, Romero has allowed just two runs over 11 innings, but he's been charged with three blown saves in that span while adding three holds. He remains the Cardinals' top lefty setup man, posting a 2.44 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 39:9 K:BB with 28 holds and six blown saves over 48 innings this season.
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Cardinals' JoJo Romero: Grabs fifth win
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Romero (5-1) struck out one in a perfect inning to earn the win Saturday over the Cubs.
Kyle Gibson allowed four runs in a seven-inning start, but the Cardinals rallied late and Romero was the beneficiary. Over his last 13 outings, Romero has allowed just one run across 10.2 innings, though he has given up 11 hits and two walks in that span. The lefty setup man has a 2.38 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 39:9 K:BB with 27 holds through 45.1 innings this season, though he's also been on the hook for five blown saves.
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Cardinals' JoJo Romero: Nabs win in nightcap
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Romero (4-1) allowed a hit and a walk over two-thirds of an inning without allowing a run, earning the win in Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader versus the Cubs.
Romero was a little shaky but got the job done in the eighth inning. The Cardinals then took the lead with a two-run single by Nolan Arenado in their half of the frame to put Romero in line for the win. He hasn't been charged with a run over his last eight appearances, allowing seven hits and two walks over six innings in that span. For the season, the setup man has a 2.43 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 34:9 K:BB, 26 holds and four blown saves across 40.2 innings.
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Cardinals' JoJo Romero: Picks up win over Rockies
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Romero (3-1) struck out one and hit one batter in a scoreless inning to earn the win over the Rockies on Friday.
After his Monday meltdown versus the Astros, Romero has bounced back with a pair of scoreless outings. There's been little reason to worry about the southpaw this year, as he's pitched to a 1.97 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 32:4 K:BB over 32 innings. He's added 19 holds and two blown saves while operating in a setup role ahead of closer Ryan Helsley. Romero's impressive numbers have been fueled by his slider, which he's thrown 33.5 percent of the time. Opponents are batting just .048 off the pitch, and it's generated a 44.4 percent whiff rate on this year, per Statcast.
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Cardinals' JoJo Romero: Takes first loss
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Romero (2-1) allowed four runs (three earned) on three hits and struck out two over one inning, taking the loss and a blown save versus the Astros on Monday.
Romero allowed just two runs over 13 innings in May, but he won't fare as well in June after this brutal outing. He was responsible for an Alex Bregman solo shot and a two-run home run by Yainer Diaz as part of the Astros' comeback. Even with the poor appearance, Romero has a 2.10 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 30:4 K:BB with 18 holds and two blown saves through 30 innings. The southpaw is unlikely to be removed from a setup role after just one bad outing, so he should still be a steady source of holds and solid strikeout numbers.
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Cardinals' JoJo Romero: Picks up win
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Romero (2-0) allowed three hits and struck out one over 1.1 scoreless innings to earn the win Saturday over the Cubs.
Romero became the pitcher of record after the Cardinals rallied for the lead in the bottom of the eighth inning. While this was a bit of a shaky performance, Romero was able to post his ninth scoreless appearance over 11 outings in May. The southpaw is at a 1.35 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 26:4 K:BB while adding 17 holds and one blown save through 26.2 innings. He's the Cardinals' top lefty reliever and continues to feature in a setup role.
Romero (1-0) allowed a run on three hits over one inning, taking a blown save but earning the win Saturday versus the Red Sox. He did not strike out or walk a batter.
Romero gave up a game-tying RBI double to Rob Refsnyder in the eighth inning, but the Cardinals answered with a five-run rally in their half of the frame. It was just the fourth run Romero's allowed all year, and Saturday marked just the third time he's given up multiple hits in an appearance. The southpaw has been excellent in a setup role with a 1.54 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 24:4 K:BB while adding 15 holds through 23.1 innings. Romero hasn't had a chance to challenge closer Ryan Helsley for the ninth inning yet, as the back end of the Cardinals' bullpen has been one of the team's few positives in 2024.
Romero struck out two in a perfect inning to earn his 10th hold of the season in Saturday's 7-4 win over the Mets.
Romero had some control issues in spring training, but they disappeared when the games started to count. He's pitched to a 1.23 ERA, 0.55 WHIP and 16:2 K:BB over 14.2 innings this season. Romero is part of the Cardinals' high-leverage mix with 10 holds -- matching his total from his previous four seasons combined. He is unlikely to challenge Ryan Helsley for closing duties, but Romero is providing quality innings when called upon.
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Cardinals' JoJo Romero: Control issues popping up
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Romero has allowed two runs on two hits and four walks while striking out three over three Grapefruit League innings.
Romero is a candidate to be a key southpaw in the Cardinals' bullpen this season, but he'll need to navigate the control issues popping up in spring games. He had three saves, three holds and two blown saves while pitching to a career-best 3.68 ERA and 1.06 WHIP across 36.2 innings last year. Romero's chances for saves are slim -- he's at best fourth in the pecking order -- but he could be a solid late-innings guy if he can get the walk rate back in order.
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Cardinals' JoJo Romero: Agrees to terms
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Romero agreed to a one-year contact with the Cardinals on Thursday, avoiding arbitration.
The 27-year-old southpaw is coming off his best big-league season, in which he registered a 3.68 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 42 strikeouts in 36.2 innings. Romero should work as the Cardinals' top lefty reliever in 2024.
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Cardinals' JoJo Romero: Knee still bothersome
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Romero (knee) is still dealing with weakness and instability in his left knee but will throw a bullpen session Sunday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Romero hit the injured list with left patellar tendinitis in early September. The fact that he's ready to throw a bullpen session suggests he has plenty of time to return before the end of the year, though the Cardinals have no incentive to rush him given that they've long since fallen out of the playoff picture.
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Cardinals' JoJo Romero: Placed on IL with knee tendinitis
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Romero was placed on the 15-day injured list on Monday with left knee patellar tendinitis.
Romero has been serving as the Cardinals' primary closer since late July, though St. Louis hasn't provided a ton of save opportunities for him. Giovanny Gallegos collected a save Sunday and could see more while Romero is out, with Ryan Helsley also in the mix after recently returning from the 60-day IL.
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Cardinals' JoJo Romero: Falters in 10th inning
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Romero (4-2) allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits and a walk while striking out two over 1.2 innings to take the loss Friday versus the Pirates.
Romero pitched around trouble in the ninth inning, but he wasn't so fortunate in the 10th. The Pirates were able to put up a three-run rally again him, and the Cardinals couldn't pull even in their half of the frame. With Ryan Helsley (forearm) back in action, it was a terrible time for Romero to have a poor outing. The lefty compiled a 2.51 ERA, 20:1 K:BB and 0.84 WHIP over 14.1 innings in August while part of a closer committee for the last-place Cardinals. He has a 3.68 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 42:10 K:BB through 36.2 innings while adding three saves, three holds and two blown saves. Despite the poor outing, Romero should continue to fill a high-leverage role for manager Oliver Marmol.
