JUPITER, Fla. — In a bizarre twist to the Cardinals' competition for a spot on the bench, Yairo Munoz bolted the team without notice, flew home to the Dominican Republic, and left the Cardinals unsure when, of if, he would return.
So they made the decision for him Saturday morning.
The Cardinals gave Munoz, their utility infielder the previous two years, his unconditional release, allowing him to become a free agent. It is unclear where that leaves Munoz as far as interest from other teams because he went AWOL before he had a hamstring injury examined by the Cardinals.