ST. LOUIS (AP) -Brad Thompson, struggling with command and his temper since being moved out of the St. Louis Cardinals’ rotation, was demoted to Triple-A Memphis on Friday.
Todd Wellemeyer was activated from the 15-day disabled list from a sprained right elbow, and will assume Thompson’s role as a right-handed reliever. But manager Tony La Russa said Thompson, a member of the bullpen during last year’s World Series championship run, will be among the September callups.
Thompson is 6-5 with a 5.06 ERA in 39 games, including the first 13 starts of his career to help a rotation riddled with injuries. He hasn’t started since July 28, when he gave up six runs, four of them earned, in three innings against the Brewers.
Since then he had totaled 10 1-3 innings in eight relief appearances, allowing 14 hits and five earned runs. Thompson was sent down a day after he gave up a three-run homer to Cody Ross and then hit the next batter, Hanley Ramirez, in the Cardinals’ 11-3 loss to the Florida Marlins on Thursday.
“Getting upset means you care, which is good,” La Russa said. “Getting upset to where it distracts you and you don’t pitch well is not good.”
La Russa has said in the past that Thompson had the worst temper on the team.
“He’s hearing that from his teammates all the time,” La Russa said. “It just doesn’t work.”
Wellemeyer was 3-1 with a 4.19 ERA in 12 games, including the first eight starts of his career. He was brought back after one rehab appearance, allowing two unearned runs and three hits in one inning at Double-A Springfield on Tuesday.
“I think just getting out there one time and getting that fire back in me helped,” Wellemeyer said. “I was a little rusty when I threw down there that one time, but I don’t think it’s going to be a problem coming back.”
Wellemeyer was injured when he banged his elbow on his knee during the followthrough, something that has happened a few other times during his career.
“Sometimes I rub on it and sometimes I nail it,” Wellemeyer said. “Tom Seaver had to wear a pad because he hit it all the time, so maybe I’ll wear a pad.”
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