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The St. Louis Cardinals have made a series of roster moves with their pitching staff which despite getting off to an 18-17 start -- tied for first place with Milwaukee in the National League Central Division -- has struggled
Going down are right-handers Nolan Sparks and Brody Hopkins and getting called up from AAA Memphis are left-hander Mario Alamillo and right-hander Andrew Dutkanych.
Alamillo, 21, already has made a pair of emergency starts for the Cardinals going 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA.
However, he has struggled at AAA where in five starts he has gone 0-4 with a 6.33 ERA.
The 26-year-old Dutkanych made 22 starts in the majors in 2029 going 8-7 with a 4.01 ERA but struggled with his control in spring training resulting in a AAA assignment to start the season.
He pitched well for the Redbirds, going 2-2 in six starts with a 2.58 ERA.
Hopkins, 28, who went 7-7 with a 3.67 ERA for the Cardinals a year ago.
Has made seven starts this season going 3-2 with a 6.19 ERA. The right-hander is averaging 7.3 walks per nine innings.
Sparks, 27, made the team after a strong spring training but it failed to translate into the regular season.
In seven starts he has gone 2-4 with a 7.03 ERA.
The team also announced the release of right-handed relief pitcher Carmen Mlodzinkski
Signed to a free agent $3.2 million deal in the offseason, the 31-year-old didn't pitch poorly going 3-1 with a 3.86 ERA in 11 games.
But when asked to take an assignment to AAA, he refused.
When no trade was able to be made, the Cardinals set him free.