Adam Wainwright Likely Lost For The Season
Injury hits the St. Louis Cardinals at an inopportune time. Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports that Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright will likely miss the remainder of the MLB season after suffering an Achilles injury.
St. Louis has initially placed Wainwright on the 15-day disabled list. He is scheduled to have an MRI done tomorrow. It is probably just a formality, as Wainwright and the Cardinals are fearing the worst case scenario.
JUST IN: Adam Wainwright expected to miss the rest of the season (via @Ken_Rosenthal)
— 120 Sports (@120Sports) April 26, 2015
What happened to Adam Wainwright remains unclear.
“My foot just shut down on me,” Wainwright told reporters after a 5-3 win against the Milwaukee Brewers.
During the time of the injury, the star pitcher had a 2-0 lead in the fifth inning. A stumble off the pitching mound led to the trainer coming out of the dugout. Wainwright was then replaced after he explained what had occurred.
“It was by the best that I felt this year. I really had things working. I started changing arm angles a little bit, working in and out better that I have been and I was just having a lot of fun out there.”
Wainwright was having a good start to the 2015 season. He was 2-1 with a 1.44 ERA. Barring a collapse he was well on his way to his third win of the year for the NL Central leading Cardinals. His loss is a huge one. They were expected to be in a tight race with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and the upstart Chicago Cubs throughout the summer.
St. Louis loses a consistent pitcher who is always in the Cy Young discussion. Wainwright’s 53 wins since 2012 is the second most in the National League over that span. He is one of the true power arms in baseball that can best hitters with his location. That will be missing on a solid pitching staff that is thin on top-level rotation depth.
Adam Wainwright is no stranger to injury. He hyperextended his knee last year, but once he returned, he was his usual dominating self.
#STLCards won without Wainwright in ’11. Could they do it again? Column:… http://t.co/iVyjxdtFku
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) April 26, 2015
In 2011, the Cardinals actually won the World Series without their ace who was lost for the season.
If the fears are confined that he will be out for the rest of the year with a ruptured Achilles, the Cardinals will find themselves in a pickle. They might have to make a move for some additional pitching depth. Do not be surprised if there are rumors involving one the starting pitcher of the Washington Nationals. For now St. Louis will have to promote from within.
Catcher Cody Stanley was called up from the minor leagues as a move to compliment sending Adam Wainwright to the disabled list.
(Photo by Mike McGinnis/Getty Images)
