The bullpen meltdown continues, and so does the churn: the St. Louis Cardinals made still more call-ups Thursday, in a season already full of them. The latest move: Recent call-ups Brandon Dickson and Chuckie Fick are out in favor of Maikel Cleto, moved to the bullpen permanently after some brief MLB appearances last year, and Sam Freeman, who steps into the second-lefty hole opened up by J.C. Romero's release. That means it's time for yet another round of Know Your Call-Up.
↵Freeman is... well, according to The Cardinal Nation's scouting report he's especially athletic, which will be good in case the Cardinals find themselves needing an extra outfielder in the 15th or 16th inning of any games this month. As for his pitching itself, his peripherals in the high minors have left something to be desired, but since he missed all of 2010 with an elbow injury he hasn't spent quite as much time there as the average 25-year-old.
↵The paean to his athleticism and his continued visibility in the Cardinals system despite elbow surgery suggests the Cardinals think he's got a better future than the results so far would indicate. That's a gamble, but the good news is that "low-leverage left-handed relief pitcher" is the fewest chips a baseball team is allowed to wager, anyway.
↵