Cards purchase Fernandez from Memphis, DFA Mejía, outright Mayers to Memphis

Pitcher Junior Fernandez’s meteoric rise through the Cardinals‘ minor league system this season has landed him in St. Louis.

Fernandez, who opened the season with the Cardinals’ High-A team in Palm Beach, has been purchased from their Triple-A affiliate in Memphis.

In other moves, the Cardinals designated left-hander Adalberto Mejía for assignment and outrighted right-hander Mike Mayers, who had been DFA’d on Sunday, to Memphis.

Fernandez, 22, has a combined 2-1 record with a 1.47 ERA and 11 saves in 42 games spread among Palm Beach, Double-A Springfield and Memphis this season. He has 76 strikeouts in 61.1 innings pitched, has allowed no home runs and has allowed runs in just nine games and multiple runs in only two.

The right-hander has been pitching for the Redbirds since June 25, allowing runs in just three of 15 games while striking out 23 batters in 20.2 innings.

Fernandez, who was signed by the Cardinals as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2014, is on a big-league roster for the first time.

Mejía pitched in two games with St. Louis after being claimed on waivers from the Angels on July 30.

Mayers has appeared in 12 games with the Cardinals in a season marred by injury.