Reyes will work in the eighth and ninth innings early in the season while Jordan Hicks is eased into action, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports.
Reyes is expected to work as a long reliever for most of the 2021 campaign with the hope that he'll move to the starting rotation in 2022. However, Reyes will likely be the top option for save chances to begin the season since the Cardinals will be cautious with Hicks' usage early on after he missed the entire 2020 campaign. While Hicks should take over as the primary closer once he's fully built up, Reyes will handle ninth-inning duties to begin the year. Manager Mike Shildt said that Giovanny Gallegos and Andrew Miller could be utilized in high-leverage situations as well.