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The feeling is one he has to go back a few years to compare it to.

鈥淭his is the best I've felt probably since before (Tommy John surgery) in (2021),鈥� Romero said.

鈥淛ust body-wise. Recovery. Everything has been really good,鈥� Romero added pregame Wednesday. 鈥�(I鈥檓) bouncing back really good. That's kind of the one things I pride myself on is making sure I'm available every day. Being able to have that to where I'm ready every day, on top of, I'm going to tell myself mentally I'm ready every day but also feeling it. Feeling ready every day, I think that's been the biggest thing.鈥�

Through 34 games in his third full season after the Cardinal acquired him via trade in 2022, the left-hander has posted a 2.60 ERA in 27 2/3 innings and secured 13 holds 鈥� that latter of which ranks second for Cardinals relievers behind Phil Maton鈥檚 18. Twelve of Romero鈥檚 13 holds have come in his previous 23 games 鈥� a stretch that includes a 0.47 ERA over 19 innings and an uptick in his velocity.

Romero continued his effective stretch that began near the end of April with a scoreless eighth inning on Tuesday against the Nationals. The 28-year-old lefty worked around a leadoff single by CJ Abrams and notched strikeouts of All-Star James Wood and Nathaniel Lowe to set up closer Ryan Helsley for a save and aid the Cardinals to a 4-2 win over Washington at Busch Stadium.

When pitching on back-to-back days, which he's done on six occasions this year, Romero has a 1.93 ERA.

The sub-0.50 ERA since April 27 by Romero comes after he allowed eight runs (seven earned) in his first 8 2/3 innings to begin the season. During that stretch, Romero鈥檚 sinker, his primary pitch, averaged 92.8 mph and peaked at 94.5 mph, per Statcast. Work in the weight room and an adjustment in mechanics have played role in allowing Romero to get his sinker up to an average velocity of 94.3 mph and allowed him to rev it up to 96 mph in 23 games since his ERA reached a season-high 7.27 on April 23.

So too has a better feeling in his body after dealing with some knee pain in past seasons.

鈥淭he last couple of years, I've had little flare-ups in my knee here and there, and I just kind of hadn't really felt like I had my legs underneath me," Romero said. "I got used to throwing with that for the last two seasons."

Entering spring training as a key late-inning piece to the Cardinals bullpen, Romero said he "everything felt really good" as he went built up this spring and did not allow a run in nine innings. But once the regular season began, Romero felt like he had to retrain his body, notably his lower half, "to move as one again" as he looked to regain the velocity that evaded him and the consistency he looked to provide in relief.

"I knew it was going to be there," Romero said. "I think it was just a matter of finding out or figuring out what the little inefficiencies were and then addressing those, which we did."

Wetherholt makes loud Class AAA debut

Top Cardinals prospect JJ Wetherholt started at shortstop and batted second for Memphis in his Class AAA debut on Wednesday at AutoZone Park. He didn't wait long to make his introduction at the new level.

After flying out in his first at-bat, the 22-year-old infield prospect tripled on a line drive to right field in his second at-bat and hit a 424-foot homer to center field in his third trip to the plate as the Redbirds' No. 2 hitter. The home run by Wetherholt had a 104 mph exit velocity, per Statcast.

The Class AAA debut for Wetherholt, who skipped Class Low-A, comes after he batted .300 and had an .891 on-base plus slugging percentage in 62 games for Class AA Springfield (Missouri) and less than a year after he was selected by the Cardinals with the seventh overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft.

Extra bases

Nolan Arenado returned to the Cardinals lineup with a start at third base on Wednesday vs. the Nationals. While dealing with a right shoulder impingement, Arenado, who batted fifth Wednesday, was scratched late from a Saturday start in Chicago. He was absent for his club鈥檚 series finale vs. the Cubs on Sunday and in their series opener vs. the Nationals on Tuesday.

• The Cardinals have Matthew Liberatore listed as their probable starter for Friday鈥檚 series opener vs. the Braves. Marmol did not name a starter for Saturday, which would be Erick Fedde鈥檚 next turn in the rotation.
• Sonny Gray鈥檚 winning decision improved him to 9-3 on the year, tying him for second in the National League and marking the fourth time in his 13-year career he earned nine wins before the All-Star break. His nine wins make him the first Cardinals pitchers since Adam Wainwright (12 wins in 2014) and Lance Lynn (10 wins in 2014) to earn nine or more wins before the break.