Here’s the latest out of St. Louis…
- Adam Wainwright’s return from the disabled list was a brief one, as the righty felt elbow pain while warming up during his start today and lasted just 2 1/3 innings (allowing two runs on three hits and six walks). Today’s outing was Wainwright’s first after missing over three weeks due to elbow inflammation, and he is likely headed back to the DL in the wake of this latest issue. He will miss at least his next start, and return to St. Louis for examination. “I need to pause and get it right. This team deserves more than that and the fans deserve more than that and the organization does, too. If I’m going to be a force down the stretch, I need to get healthy first,” Wainwright told MLB.com’s Jay Paris and other media. The veteran underwent arthroscopic surgery on that same right elbow last October after battling some elbow problems in 2017, and also missed all of the 2011 season due to Tommy John surgery. With Carlos Martinez also on the DL, the Cards rotation is down to Miles Mikolas, Michael Wacha, and Luke Weaver, with Jack Flaherty tapped to start on Tuesday.
- Alex Reyes could also eventually factor into the St. Louis rotation plans, as the star prospect will pitch on Monday in what will be the second of four scheduled minor league rehab starts as he makes his return from Tommy John surgery. President of baseball operations John Mozeliak told Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the team won’t be moving to a six-man rotation once Reyes is ready, though it remains to be seen exactly how Reyes will be deployed. “Rather than lay it [the team’s plan] out there for public consumption, I would rather wait and do it based on where we are, where he is, and how to best optimize that,” Mozeliak said. As Frederickson notes, the Cards are trying to manage Reyes’ workload on several fronts — they want to ease him back into action, while also keeping him fresh to pitch in a postseason race (and into October) and on track to move into a starting role in 2019. Using him as a multi-inning reliever or piggybacking his outings with another starter would be complicated from an innings-management standpoint, and Mozeliak said that the team could even keep Reyes in the minors if that is what is best for him at this point in his development and recovery.
- Earlier this week, The Athletic’s Mark Saxon (subscription required) opined that Kolten Wong’s second base glove has become such a plus for the Cardinals that the team should consider giving him more regular playing time, even against left-handed pitching. Since Saxon’s piece was written, Wong has started each of the Cards’ last two games against southpaw opposing starters, with Jedd Gyorko playing third base and the struggling Matt Carpenter getting a three-game break. Wong has been one of baseball’s best defenders at any position this season, and his bat has started to show some signs of life after an ice-cold start to the season. With Jose Martinez more or less locked in as the starting first baseman at this point, it leaves the Cards juggling Wong, Gyorko, and Carpenter between second and third base, with backup infielder Greg Garcia also in need of some playing time.
Waino has been battling injury and has been less than effective for much of the year, Reyes will be moved back into the mix slowly but will be an important piece to the pitching staff in some capacity. Wongs..struggles with the bat have been well documented but has been 1 plus in an otherwise shaky defense. Hit or not he needs to play often.
You literally just repeated what that post said.
You literally just repeated what that post says.
You literally just repeated yourself
Whoops didn’t mean to copy your comment.
I don’t want to repeat myself. To make sure I don’t, I won’t even say it the first time.
You literally just repeated yourself (lol)
a brief synopsis
I think Waino is done. Problem just isn’t going away, may require more surgery.
Wong needs to learn how to hit. A 8th place hitter hitting 200 and 2 home runs should not be seeing a defensive shift. He still over swings and swings from the heels.
Talk to Willie McGee and look at Rod Carew hitting films. Stop strutting around! He’s not Javey Baez!
its a good thing hes not javy baez…
PS on Wong
Against pitcher Hand of San Diego yesterday Wong watched 3 straight curve balls for called strikes. What was he expecting. Could have left the bat in the rack.
Or one of us could have used the $9,732 that he made from walking to the plate that one time. Any of us could have stood there with the bat on our shoulder and struck out.
Hell……As ugly as it would have been…..I’d have even taken a swing or two, for that kind of cash (sarcasm)……….lol
I fell better now that someone else saw that also. You’re right, that’s good money for short walk.
I felt better now that someone else saw that also. You’re right, that’s good money for short walk.
Good defensively or good at bats. Until Wong gets rid of his hotdog mental attitude, he’ll never be great at either one!!! You can’t coach him because he already has all of the answers. If you don’t believe he has all of the answers to everything, just ask him!!! He will prove to you right then that he won’t listen and is uncoachable!!
Good thing no one offered Wong a ridiculous, unwarranted 5-year extension …. oops !
Nice move, Mo.
I wonder if Baltimore has any interest in Wong. His D is a big plus though.
Yea I’ve heard he has some real good D
Don’t attach ridiculous crap like this to my comments. If you want to make an ass of yourself, leave me out of it
too bad wong wasn’t shipped to miami for castro
When he was in AA Springfield Wong was an ass,he still is.I wish they would trade him. Every time the Cardinals hand out an extension I think oh crap….As far as Waino, I watched him in his last rehab start and he looked good,he wasn’t lightning up the radar gun but he looked good.He wasn’t hurt here.He was definitely hurt his last start.Time to fix it or hang it up.But he’s been a great pitcher!
He had good intentions but after listening to the comments after the game he seems resigned to not be an embarrassment to the team. He has earned the right to be given the chance especially if it is last year or game.