The St. Louis Cardinals may need to reconsider part of their bullpen setup as concerns continue to grow around left-handed reliever Justin Bruihl. After suffering consecutive losses, including a recent defeat to the Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis has slipped further behind in the tightly contested National League Central standings. The Cardinals now trail the division-leading Brewers by 2.5 games, highlighting how important every matchup has become in one of baseball’s most competitive divisions.
With all five NL Central teams currently above the .500 mark, the pressure is mounting on the Cardinals to fix weaknesses before those issues begin to seriously impact their playoff hopes. While the club has shown flashes of strong baseball this season, one area continues to raise concerns — the bullpen. St. Louis relievers have struggled to consistently protect leads and close games, and the numbers reflect those difficulties. The bullpen currently owns a 4.41 ERA, ranking among the weakest relief units in the National League.
Much of the recent criticism has centered on Bruihl, who has appeared in 25 games this season but has not delivered reliable results. The left-hander holds a 5.56 ERA, and questions are beginning to surface about whether the Cardinals can continue trusting him in meaningful situations. Following Monday’s loss, MLB.com’s Josh Jacobs discussed the bullpen issues and pointed directly at Bruihl as part of the problem.
Jacobs explained that if the Cardinals continue relying heavily on their starting pitchers to cover only around six innings per game, the bullpen must be dependable behind them. According to him, St. Louis cannot afford to carry multiple relievers who are unable to consistently perform when called upon. He also mentioned former bullpen option Matt Svanson alongside Bruihl as pitchers the team has struggled to trust in important moments.
Bruihl originally joined the Cardinals late last offseason after being acquired from the Cleveland Guardians organization. At the time, the move appeared to be a sensible depth addition. St. Louis lacked left-handed relief options outside of JoJo Romero, making Bruihl an appealing low-risk pickup who could potentially carve out a meaningful role in the bullpen.
However, the experiment has not gone according to plan. Instead of becoming a dependable middle-relief option, Bruihl has struggled to consistently get outs and prevent runs. As a result, the Cardinals may now need to rethink how they structure their bullpen moving forward. Bringing in fresh arms from the minor leagues could provide a spark and create more competition among relievers.
If St. Louis hopes to remain in the playoff race throughout the season, bullpen improvement will likely become a priority. The current group simply has not produced enough consistency to support a contender in such a competitive division. While Bruihl may still have value as organizational depth, his recent performance suggests he may not be suited for a larger role on a team trying to compete for October baseball.
The Cardinals could also explore external help before the trade deadline. Adding another experienced reliever may strengthen the bullpen without disrupting president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom and his long-term vision for the franchise. Regardless of the route they choose, it is becoming increasingly clear that changes may be necessary if St. Louis wants to keep pace in the National League Central race.
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