How Cardinals reliever assured more chances with 'biggest performance of my life' mindset

While the Cardinals looked for the right time to debut Ryan Fernandez, the rookie right-hander spent day after day, as each game passed without him throwing a pitch, getting in the right mindset for his first appearance in the majors. “It kind of built up to when I do get my chance, I'm going to make sure I take advantage of it — that type of thing,” Fernandez said. In the opening days of the regular season, the Cardinals sought an entry-level spot to use one of their new-addition relievers. As the wait lasted a series and neared a week, the Cardinals got in a bind where they could no longer be choosy.