Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Shut down with shoulder injury
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The Cardinals placed Gallegos on the 15-day injured list Monday with right shoulder rotator cuff tendinitis.
St. Louis recalled right-hander Jake Woodford from Triple-A Memphis to serve as a replacement on the 28-man active roster for Gallegos, whose season comes to an end as a result of the injury. Unless follow-up tests on Gallegos' shoulder that reveal structural damage, he should be in store for a relatively normal offseason and head into spring training at full health. Gallegos concludes the 2023 campaign with two wins, 10 saves, 20 holds and a 4.42 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 59:12 K:BB across 55 innings out of the St. Louis bullpen.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Earns 10th save
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Gallegos picked up a save Sunday against the Pirates. He struck out one over a perfect inning.
Gallegos had allowed six earned runs in 2.2 innings since his last save Aug. 9, but needed only eight pitches to close out Sunday's game. Gallegos has been splitting late-inning duties with JoJo Romero, but with Ryan Helsley recently being activated from the injured list, the pecking order of the Cardinals bullpen remains murky.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Locks down ninth save
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Gallegos picked up the save Wednesday against the Rays, striking out one over a scoreless inning.
It's Gallegos' first save since Jordan Hicks was dealt at the trade deadline. It appeared that the 31-year-old right-hander would be first in line for save opportunities until Ryan Helsley's (forearm) return, though he's been splitting the job with JoJo Romero so far. Gallegos has now gone nine straight appearances (10.1 innings) without allowing a run, striking out 11 in that span. His ERA is down 3.45 with a 1.02 WHIP and 47:9 K:BB across 47 innings this season, while he's racked up nine saves and 15 holds.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Picks up hold Sunday
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Gallegos struck out two in two perfect innings to earn the hold during Sunday's 3-0 win over the Cubs.
Gallegos worked in the seventh and eighth innings during Sunday's series finale against the Cubs, but he'll likely see increased save opportunities for the Cardinals after Jordan Hicks was traded to the Blue Jays on Sunday. Gallegos has converted eight of 13 save opportunities this year in addition to his 15 holds, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him as the Cardinals' primary option in the ninth inning down the stretch. JoJo Romero picked up his first career save against the Cubs on Sunday.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Nabs win Monday
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Gallegos (2-4) allowed two hits and struck out one over 1.1 innings to earn the win over the Diamondbacks on Monday.
After an inconsistent June, Gallegos has stabilized in July, allowing just one run 9.2 innings. The right-hander did his part to keep the Cardinals close Monday, and they rewarded him with a ninth-inning rally. Gallegos is now at a 3.92 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 40:9 K:BB through 41.1 innings. He's added eight holds, 13 saves and four blown saves, but it appears he'll remain in a setup role with Jordan Hicks closing while Ryan Helsley (forearm) remains out, though the St. Louis bullpen could change drastically in the week leading up to the trade deadline.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Hit hard Wednesday
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Gallegos (1-4) allowed five runs on four hits and a walk without recording a strikeout in two-thirds of an inning to take the loss and a blown save Wednesday versus the Astros.
Gallegos yielded home runs to Jose Altuve and Jose Abreu in the disastrous eighth inning. The Cardinals have taken 16 blown saves as a team this year, and Gallegos is responsible for four of them. Three of those squandered leads have come in June, where he's been scored upon multiple times in three of his nine appearances for a total of 11 runs allowed over nine innings. The setup man has a 4.83 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 29:7 K:BB through 31.2 innings while adding eight saves and nine holds, but Gallegos won't come close to challenging Jordan Hicks for closing duties if he can't turn things around.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Allows game-tying homer
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Gallegos blew the save in Wednesday's 8-5 loss to the Giants, allowing a two-run home run while striking out two and walking one across one inning.
Gallegos appeared to be working his way out of trouble after issuing a leadoff walk to LaMonte Wade Jr. to begin the ninth, retiring the next two batters he faced. He then got ahead 0-2 in the count before running it full and eventually surrendering a game-tying, two-run home run to Mike Yastrzemski. The reliever would get out of the inning with the score still tied 5-5, though the Cardinals fell in the 10th for their fifth straight loss. Gallegos has now blown two of his last three save attempts while also allowing three home runs so far in June. He had allowed just two home runs all season coming into this month.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Possible waiver wire pickups
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Gallegos and Ryan Helsley have split saves almost evenly this year, but it wasn't a secret that Helsley was the top dog in the Cardinals bullpen. It's just that manager Oliver Marmol didn't abide by traditional bullpen roles and didn't always have the patience to reserve Helsley for the ninth. Now, he doesn't have the choice. Helsley is out of commission with a forearm injury that doesn't sound like it'll require a lengthy IL stint. But these things aren't always predictable, and it's telling that the Cardinals are sending him for another round of testing. Gallegos isn't having his best season, but there's no one else in the Cardinals bullpen equipped to handle such a role. If Helsley's presence was holding you back before, it shouldn't now.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Notches four-out save
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Gallegos struck out one batter in 1.1 perfect innings while picking up a save over Cincinnati on Friday.
Gallegos needed just 15 pitches (11 strikes) to retire all four batters he faced in the 7-4 win. It was his first save chance since his massive collapse June 2 against the Pirates. He's now converted eight of 10 opportunities on the year while registering a 3.51 ERA and a 24:5 K:BB.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Locks down seventh save
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Gallegos picked up the save in Tuesday's 2-1 win over Kansas City. He allowed one run on two hits and zero walks while striking out one over one inning.
Though Gallegos had some trouble in the ninth, allowing a leadoff double to Vinnie Pasquantino and then giving up a single to Salvador Perez, he managed to pick up his third save in the last five days to improve his season mark to seven. After the Cardinals' slow start to the season, Gallegos has had ample closing work over the last three weeks, picking up six of his seven saves in that span. Through 22.2 innings, Gallegos owns a 2.38 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 5.2 K/BB.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Grabs another save
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Gallegos tossed a perfect inning to earn a save against the Guardians on Saturday.
Gallegos made quick work of Cleveland in the ninth to uphold a one-run lead, retiring the side on just five pitches. The right-hander picked up his sixth save as a result, five of which have come since May 9. Ryan Helsley has just two saves in that span, and though either reliever could get the call to close in any given contest, Gallegos appears to be slightly more likely to see such chances for the time being.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Notches fifth save
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Gallegos struck out two and allowed a run on two hits and no walks over 1.1 innings to earn his fifth save in Thursday's 2-1 victory at Cincinnati.
The right-hander stranded two runners to finish the eighth inning and returned for the ninth, but the Reds broke the shutout with a double and a single before Gallegos closed things out. The run breaks a string of eight straight appearances without giving up an earned run for the 31-year-old, who now owns a 2.18 ERA and 20:4 K:BB across 20.1 innings this year. Ryan Helsley opened the campaign as the Cardinals' primary closer, but he and Gallegos have been splitting ninth-inning work of late.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Nabs third save
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Gallegos picked up the save in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Red Sox. He allowed one hit over one scoreless inning. He didn't record a strikeout.
Gallegos retired Raimel Tapia and Jarren Duran to open up the ninth before Triston Casas hit a single as a pinch hitter, but he never advanced past first base. Gallegos remains firmly behind Ryan Helsley as the Cardinals' closer and likely saw the save opportunity because Helsley threw two perfect innings Friday. Through 14.2 innings, Gallegos owns a 2.45 ERA with 12 strikeouts and has converted three of his four save attempts.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Converts second save
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Gallegos pitched a perfect inning to earn the save in Tuesday's 6-4 win over the Cubs.
Gallegos retired Dansby Swanson, Ian Happ and Cody Bellinger in order to successfully protect a two-run lead. Ryan Helsley had pitched three of the last four days and battled a knee injury in that span, likely leading to the decision to give Gallegos a save opportunity. Gallegos had allowed at least one run in three of his previous four outings, but he was steady Tuesday. He now has a 2.63 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 12:2 K:BB through 13.2 innings. He's 2-for-3 in save chances, and he's added two holds over 13 appearances.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Takes second loss
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Gallegos (1-2) allowed an unearned run on three hits and struck out one without walking a batter in two innings, taking the extra-inning loss Saturday versus the Tigers.
Gallegos was bailed out by a double play in the ninth inning, but he didn't have the same luck when Akil Baddoo hit an RBI double in the 10th. Ryan Helsley (knee) was unavailable Saturday, which likely factored in the decision to give Gallegos multiple innings in this appearance. Over his last four outings, the right-hander has surrendered five runs (four earned) and taken two losses over 4.1 innings. He's at a 2.84 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 12:2 K:BB through 12.2 frames this season. If Helsley's knee issue requires more than just a couple of days, Gallegos would likely get a look for save opportunities despite his poor pitching recently.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Makes mess of ninth inning
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Gallegos (1-1) allowed three runs on four hits in the ninth inning Wednesday versus the Angels, taking the loss and a blown save.
Regular closer Ryan Helsley was called on to get the last out of the seventh inning and also pitched the eighth. That left Gallegos with a one-run lead to protect in the ninth, and he couldn't get the job done. He allowed solo home runs to Jake Lamb and Mike Trout, and Anthony Rendon added an RBI single. After opening the season with eight scoreless outings, Gallegos has given up four runs over his last two appearances. He's now at a 3.60 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 11:2 K:BB across 10 innings with a save and two holds.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Notches easy save
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Gallegos struck out one batter in a perfect ninth inning to earn a save over the Pirates on Friday.
Gallegos needed just 10 pitches to finish off the 3-0 victory. He's now sporting a 7:0 K:BB after converting his first save chance of the year. Ryan Helsley did not appear in Friday's game after pitching Tuesday and Wednesday.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Records four outs to earn win
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Gallegos (1-0) earned the win Tuesday versus the Rockies, striking out two over 1.1 perfect innings.
Gallegos got the last out of the seventh inning and set down the side in the eighth before the Cardinals' ninth-inning rally for the lead. After dealing with a back issue to begin the season, Gallegos has been used sparingly with the Cardinals' starters struggling to put the team in a position to need high-leverage relievers. He's delivered with 2.1 scoreless innings so far, striking out four and walking none while allowing just one hit.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: Available Monday
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Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Gallegos (back) is available to pitch out of the bullpen Monday against Atlanta, Jim Hayes of Bally Sports Midwest reports.
Gallegos was unavailable for the weekend series against the Blue Jays due to a back issue, but he's evidently recovered enough to be used Monday, if needed. The 31-year-old is slated to serve as Ryan Helsley's primary setup man and could see the occasional save chance.
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Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos: MRI comes back clean
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Gallegos (back) won't pitch Saturday versus the Blue Jays, but his MRI came back clean and manager Oliver Marmol is optimistic the reliever will be available for Sunday's series finale, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Gallegos is still expected to avoid the injured list, which is the best sign this is a short-term issue. Once he's able to make his season debut, he'll likely serve in a high-leverage role.
