The tournament happens every March, cutting into and extending spring training, and pitchers, while limited in when and how much they can pitch, must gear up early for competition. Reyes, 22, is entering the first season when he’s expected to open the year as a part of the major-league rotation. He logged around 130 innings in 2016, and the Cardinals are going to monitor how much his workload increases, especially as it approaches 170 innings. Mozeliak said he did not have a reservation about Reyes participating in the tournament, possibly even as a reliever.

“I think how MLB is looking at the World Baseball Classic — all of us are advocates to see it work,” Mozeliak said. “When you start asking if I think there should be limitations or concerns, it’s probably the wrong way for us as a league to approach it. This is a great experience for the guys. You hope when competing, no one gets hurt.”

Cards seek backup