O'Brien earned the save in a 7-4 win over the Marlins on Tuesday. He did not allow a hit but walked two and also struck out two in a scoreless inning.
O'Brien was called upon for the save chance after JoJo Romero pitched against the heart of the Miami order in the eighth. Things did not begin well for O'Brien, who walked consecutive batters to open up the inning, but he rebounded with back-to-back strikeouts before getting a groundout to end the game. O'Brien now has two saves to Romero's three since the departure of Ryan Helsley at the deadline. O'Brien has found his footing this season, posting a 1.56 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 34:17 K:BB in 34.2 innings.
O'Brien earned the save in Wednesday's 5-3 win over the Dodgers, issuing one walk with no hits or strikeouts over 1.1 scoreless innings.
After Freddie Freeman singled with two outs in the eighth inning, O'Brien was called upon to set down Teoscar Hernandez to end the frame. The right-hander would come back out for the ninth, and he worked around a two-out walk to earn his first major-league save. After allowing 10 earned runs in eight innings last season, O'Brien has emerged as one of the Cardinals' top bullpen options this year, posting a 1.84 ERA with a 1.19 WHIP and 29:14 K:BB across 29.1 innings. O'Brien could be in line for additional save chances down the stretch following the departures of Ryan Helsley and Phil Maton at the trade deadline, although JoJo Romero has looked like the preferred choice at closer so far for manager Oliver Marmol.
Cardinals' Riley O'Brien: Excelling out of St. Louis bullpen
Rotowire
O'Brien has permitted just one run and boasts a 20:8 K:BB over 16 innings covering his last 12 appearances.
O'Brien has had trouble staying healthy and producing at the major-league level, but the stuff has always been there and he seems to finally be finding his footing. The 30-year-old netted his second hold of the season in Sunday's win over Atlanta and could continue to be elevated in the Cardinals' bullpen hierarchy.
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Cardinals' Riley O'Brien: Back with big club
Rotowire
The Cardinals recalled O'Brien from Triple-A Memphis on Monday.
O'Brien was sent down to Triple-A on Saturday but is back with the Cardinals ahead of their series opener against Toronto. O'Brien boasts a 6.23 ERA and 3:2 K:BB across 4.1 innings of work out of the St. Louis bullpen this season.
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Cardinals' Riley O'Brien: Back to minors after doubleheader
Rotowire
The Cardinals optioned O'Brien to Triple-A Memphis on Friday.
O'Brien was up as the 27th man during Thursday's doubleheader against the Royals, tossing 1.2 scoreless innings in the first game of the twin bill. The 30-year-old has thrived at Memphis this season with a 2.79 ERA and 32:8 K:BB in 19.1 frames and should get another opportunity with the big club sooner rather than later.
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Cardinals' Riley O'Brien: Up as 27th man for doubleheader
Rotowire
The Cardinals recalled O'Brien from Triple-A Memphis on Thursday.
O'Brien will serve as the 27th man for Thursday's doubleheader against the Royals and will likely be sent back down after the twin bill. The right-handed reliever has made three appearances in the majors this season, allowing three runs with a 2:2 K:BB 2.2 innings.
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Cardinals' Riley O'Brien: Optioned to Triple-A
Rotowire
The Cardinals optioned O'Brien to Triple-A Memphis on Friday.
He's being replaced by a fresh relief arm after throwing 34 pitches over 1.2 frames Thursday versus the Reds. O'Brien will get another opportunity later this season.
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Cardinals' Riley O'Brien: Brought up from minors
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The Cardinals recalled O'Brien from Triple-A Memphis on Friday.
He'll absorb the roster spot vacated by Ryan Fernandez, who was optioned to Memphis. O'Brien has yielded three earned runs while striking out 14 over seven innings with Memphis this season. He'll look to help out a struggling St. Louis bullpen.
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Cardinals' Riley O'Brien: Returns from elbow issue
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O'Brien tossed a scoreless inning Friday versus the Mets after being unavailable for more than two weeks due to right elbow soreness, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
O'Brien said his elbow "flared up" after his second spring outing Feb. 26, but he did not go for tests because the elbow responded immediately to rest and treatment. While the reliever was unconcerned about the issue, it should be noted that he missed much of the 2024 campaign with a flexor strain. The Cardinals will wait to see how O'Brien's elbow bounces back from Friday's appearance before scheduling his next outing. O'Brien is in the running for one of the final spots in the St. Louis bullpen.
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Cardinals' Riley O'Brien: Optioned to Triple-A
Rotowire
The Cardinals optioned O'Brien to Triple-A Memphis on Saturday.
O'Brien made his return Friday from an elbow issue that held him out for two weeks, but he'll now head back to Memphis to begin the 2025 campaign. The 30-year-old righty owns a 10.45 ERA over 10.1 career MLB innings, though St. Louis may be willing to give him another shot if he can replicate his 1.35 ERA in Triple-A from last year.
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Cardinals' Riley O'Brien: Recalled from Triple-A
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The Cardinals recalled O'Brien from Triple-A Memphis on Tuesday, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
O'Brien made the Cardinals' Opening Day roster but suffered a flexor strain in his first appearance and missed the remainder of the first half. He has pitched well since resurfacing at Memphis, posting a 1.35 ERA and 9:5 K:BB over 13.1 innings, to earn another look with the big club.
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Cardinals' Riley O'Brien: Activated, sent to Triple-A
Rotowire
The Cardinals activated O'Brien (forearm) from the 60-day injured list Sunday and optioned him to Triple-A Memphis.
O'Brien has been sidelined since he suffered a flexor strain Opening Day against the Dodgers, and he'll head to the minors now that he's healthy. The 29-year-old allowed two earned runs with a 5:4 K:BB over eight innings during his rehab assignment with Memphis.
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Cardinals' Riley O'Brien: Could be activated next week
Rotowire
O'Brien (forearm) could be activated from the 60-day injured list next week after making two more rehab appearances with Triple-A Memphis, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
O'Brien will make back-to-back appearances with Memphis on Saturday and Sunday, which would appear to be the final box he'll need to check before rejoining the Cardinals' bullpen. The reliever has been sidelined since suffering a right flexor strain back on Opening Day.
O'Brien (forearm) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Memphis on Friday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
O'Brien has been shelved since Opening Day due to a strained forearm but has finally been cleared for a rehab stint The 29-year-old has completed three live batting practice sessions and could rejoin the Cardinals' bullpen before the end of July.
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Cardinals' Riley O'Brien: Could begin rehab assignment soon
Rotowire
O'Brien is scheduled to throw live batting practice Saturday with Double-A Springfield and could start a rehab assignment next week if it goes well, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Saturday will be O'Brien's third, and possibly last, live BP session, as the 29-year-old reliever could see game action as early as next week. O'Brien hasn't pitched in a game since Opening Day, when he sustained a strained forearm. He'll likely require several rehab appearances before being activated.
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Cardinals' Riley O'Brien: Set for another live session
Rotowire
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said that O'Brien (forearm) will throw a live batting practice session at Double-A Springfield on Wednesday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
O'Brien will throw approximately 20-to-25 pitches Wednesday, and if all goes well, he could be cleared to begin a rehab assignment with Springfield this weekend. The 29-year-old righty has been on the injured list since late March with a right forearm strain. He's expected to fill a low-leverage role out of the St. Louis bullpen once he's activated from the 60-day injured list.
O'Brien (forearm) will throw a live batting practice session Saturday and will begin a rehab assignment at Double-A Springfield on Tuesday if the live BP session goes well, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
O'Brien suffered a setback in his recovery June 23, but he's nearing a return to game action, with Saturday's live BP his last checkpoint to clear before starting a rehab assignment. O'Brien has been shelved since March 31 but is on track for a late July return.
