Naile gets the call to St. Louis

Cardinals reliever James Naile waives to supporters Monday, June 27 at Busch Stadium. Naile is a native of Charleston, Missouri.

Courtesy of Michael Minner

On Sunday night, Charleston native James Naile received the call he’s been waiting for.

On Monday, Naile will report to the St. Louis Cardinals and don the jersey of his favorite team since childhood, according to sources close to the pitcher.

The Cardinals have a number of pitchers injured, including ace Jack Flaherty who was pulled on Sunday after just two innings.

Naile, a right handed pitcher, will provide needed depth to the bullpen.

Naile was 3-2 with a 3.28 ERA in 27 appearances with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds, providing solid relief out of the bullpen. Naile also had three starts for Memphis, all in the last month, and has thrown 46.2 innings, allowing 49 hits while walking 11 and striking out 42.

Naile signed a free agent contract with the Cardinals organization in November.

James Naile

“STL is the reason I love baseball,” Naile said in the post. “They’re the team I grew up rooting for as a kid. I can’t wait to wear the red cleats.”

Before signing with the Cardinals, Naile spent six seasons in the Oakland A’s organization and was a 2018 opening day starter for the Triple-A Nashville Sounds and was named a Pacific Coast League all-star.

Naile was drafted in the 20th round in 2015 out of the University of Alabama-Birmingham.

As a senior at Charleston High School in 2011, Naile led the Bluejays to a fourth place finish in Class 2, the school’s only appearance in the final four. Naile pitched the Bluejays to a 1-0 win over the highly favored Valle Catholic Warriors in the state quarterfinal to get Charleston to the final four.