Cardinals Promote RHP Trevor Rosenthal; Option Cleto

The St. Louis Cardinals plan to promote right-hander Trevor Rosenthal to their bullpen from Double-A Springfield, reports B.J. Rains of FOX Sports Midwest.

If you missed it last night, sources say Cardinals plan to promote Double-A pitcher Trevor Rosenthal to big league bullpen today.

— B.J. Rains (@BJRains) July 16, 2012

The 22-year-old right-hander owns a 2.78 ERA in 17 starts at Double-A this season, striking out 83 batters in 94 innings and walking 37. A 21st round pick in the 2009 draft, the 6' 2" righty has a 3.50 ERA in four professional seasons.

STL Today reports that Rosenthal has emerged has one of the team's top pitching prospects with the help of his powerful fastball/slider combination.

The righty's fastball sits from 91 mph to 95 mph, and it has natural sink without sacrificing power. Rosenthal hit 98-mph with a fastball during last year's Midwest League playoffs.

Right-hander Maikel Cleto has been optioned to Triple-A to make room for Rosenthal on the 25-man roster. Jaime Garcia has been moved to the 60-day DL to free space on the 40-man.

__________________________________________________________________________

Will Rosenthal help boost the Cardinals' bullpen?

__________________________________________________________________________