Lefty Bruce Zimmermann has been outrighted to Triple-A, the Cardinals announced. The veteran cleared waivers after being designated for assignment on Tuesday. Zimmermann has been outrighted multiple times in his career, so he’ll have the option to elect free agency.
Zimmermann spent just a single day on the big-league roster. He was added for a doubleheader against the Brewers. With St. Louis looking to provide extra rest for starters Michael McGreevy and Andre Pallante, Zimmermann handled bulk relief duties in the first game, and Hunter Dobbins started the second game. The lefty was swapped out for fellow southpaw Jared Shuster the following day.
The Cardinals picked up Zimmermann on a minor league deal in January. He was pitching decently at Triple-A before the call-up, notching a 3.78 ERA with more than a strikeout per inning over 15 starts. Zimmermann covered five innings against the Brewers, allowing three earned runs. It was just his second MLB appearance since 2023. He last suited up for Milwaukee, making a single start at the tail end of last season.
Zimmermann emerged as a semi-regular in the Orioles’ rotation after debuting in the shortened 2020 season. He made 26 starts across 2021 and 2022. The soft-tossing lefty didn’t deliver amazing results, but had an xFIP and SIERA in the mid-4.00s in both seasons. Zimmermann made a handful of appearances out of Baltimore’s bullpen in 2023. He was DFAed near the end of the 2024 campaign and left via minor league free agency that offseason.
The 31-year-old Zimmermann has shown a slightly different arsenal the past two years, leading with a sinker and fading his four-seamer. He’s also replaced his changeup with a splitter. Zimmermann averaged 91.4 mph on his fastball when he first came up with the Orioles. All of his offerings are below 90 mph these days. Zimmermann could look to test free agency or stick with the Cardinals and wait for another chance with the club.
Photo courtesy of Jeff Curry, Imagn Images
