The St. Louis Cardinals have purchased relief pitcher Brian Fuentes' contract from Triple-A Springfield and optioned Victor Marte to the minors to free up a roster spot, as the team announced on Wednesday. St. Louis also designated relief pitcher Chuckie Fick for assignment in order to free a spot on the 40-man roster.

Fuentes, who has spent the past year-plus in Oakland, appeared in two minor league games with Cardinals affiliates before the promotion. He pitched two shutout innings, one for the rookie league GCL Cardinals and one for Double-A Memphis.

Marte, 30, has made 43 appearances for the Cardinals this season, posting a 4.46 ERA with 33 strikeouts and 13 walks over 38.1 innings. Home runs have been a major issue for him, as he's allowed six already in his time this year. Fick, 26, pitched 1.2 innings for St. Louis this year, allowing one run on three hits.

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