After becoming a valuable and trusted big-league reliever in 2024, Ryan Fernandez fell on hard times in 2025 when he pitched tentatively. Now back with the Cards, he is vowing to be in attack mode this time around.
ST. LOUIS – Vowing to “trust my stuff” more and be in attack mode when he is called upon in relief for the Cardinals, right-handed pitcher Ryan Fernandez was recalled from Triple-A Memphis by St. Louis before Monday night’s game against the Guardians.
Fernandez, 27, was a breakout star for the Cardinals in 2024 when he was claimed in the Ruler 5 Draft and then remained on the big-league roster throughout the season. That season, he appeared in 62 games and compiled 12 holds and two saves.
Fernandez didn’t fare nearly as well in 2025 and was shuttled between St. Louis and Triple-A Memphis most of the season. He failed to make the Opening Day roster out of Spring Training, but he earned his way back to St. Louis by not allowing a run over six outings with Memphis.
“I think last year I fell into a trap of giving the hitters too much credit and not giving myself not enough credit,” said Fernandez, who walked 16 batters in his 30 1/3 innings of work last season and often pitched tentatively. “On the mental side of things, I’ve overcome that.
“Obviously, I wasn’t having that issue in ’24 because I was having success. But it’s easy to fall into the trap (of pitching tentatively) when you have early failure. I’ve got the same stuff now that I had in 2024, but I wasn’t attacking the zone with it. I was just walking guys and throwing too many noncompetitive pitches, and it’s been about overcoming that and learning that I need to get ahead early in counts and putting guys away late.”
To make room on the roster for Fernandez, Jared Shuster was designated for assignment. The left-handed reliever pitched the final three innings of Sunday’s 9-3 loss to the Red Sox and threw 50 pitches, making him susceptible to a roster move. He allowed two hits and two earned runs, while striking out one and walking two over the three innings of work.
Cade Winquest back with the Cardinals
The Cardinals also announced that right-handed pitcher Cade Winquest was being returned to the club after the Yankees declined his rights. Winquest, 25, was selected by New York in the 2025 Rule 5 Draft, and he made the Yankees Opening Day roster, but was designated for assignment when New York activated injured starter Luis Gil.
That Yankees transaction meant that Winquest had to be offered back to the Cardinals. The hard-throwing right-hander was assigned to Triple-A Memphis by the Cardinals. Last season, in 25 appearances (23 starts) with High-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield, he went 5-7 with a 3.99 ERA while averaging more than a strikeout an inning.
Fernandez, who mixes a hard-biting slider with a riding fastball when he’s most effective, is confident that he can get back to the levels that he pitched at in 2024 by throwing every pitch with conviction.
“It really is as simple as overcoming your self-doubts,” he said. “Having those doubts is only human, but you have to truly believe that you belong here. If you get to this level, you belong here and you are good enough. That’s something that (Andrew) Kittredge instilled in the bullpen in 2024. You have to believe that you are good enough to be here and I have to trust my stuff.”
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