Cardinals option RHP Fernandez to Triple-A Memphis and recall RHP O’Brien

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals optioned right-handed pitcher Ryan Fernandez to Triple-A Memphis and recalled right-hander Riley O’Brien before Friday’s game against Milwaukee.

The 26-year-old Fernandez was selected by the Cardinals from Boston in the 2023 Rule 5 draft. He emerged as a valuable piece of the Cardinals’ bullpen last season, posting a 3.51 ERA over 66 2/3 innings with two saves in 62 appearances.

This season, Fernandez has struggled, going 0-2 with a 11.43 ERA in 8 2/3 innings over 11 appearances. Fernandez entered a 1-1 game in the eighth inning Wednesday in Atlanta and allowed a go-ahead three-run homer to Braves outfielder Eli White.

“It’s just a matter of him getting that to where he needs to in order to come back and be effective,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “The last thing I’d want to do with a young guy like him is lose him mentally because of how it’s going, and then there not being room to get him in low leverage situations where he can be scheduled down there and just work on what he needs to work on over the next couple weeks”