The St. Louis Cardinals have bumped Ryan Franklin out of the closer’s role after four blown saves early in the season. Manager Tony La Russa said Tuesday that changing Franklin’s responsibilities might help the 38-year-old right-hander get back on track. He didn’t say who might replace Franklin in the ninth, but the top candidate probably is Mitchell Boggs. “I think the thing to do is watch the game and see who comes out there,” La Russa said. “We can talk about it afterwards. You treat him like a hitter who’s struggling, change the responsibility a little bit for a little bit.” Franklin was 0-2 with an 11.57 ERA in six games and one save in five chances entering a three-game series against the Washington Nationals. He was 27 for 29 on save tries last season and an All-Star in 2009, relying on a half-dozen options to compensate for lack of a dominating fastball. Franklin has already made a cosmetic change, shearing off more than half of a long beard that juts off his chin. “Whenever the phone rings and they say ‘Franklin get up,’ I get up,” Franklin said. “However they want to put me out there. It doesn’t matter, I’m theirs. “However they want to treat it, I’m on board.” Read more: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=Au0N0ynv.I_SdDym0KQckAURvLYF?slug=ap-cardinals-franklindemoted
