Cardinals left-hander Brett Cecil underwent surgery this week to alleviate carpal tunnel syndrome in his left wrist and through his forearm, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link).
Cecil, 32, wasn’t expected back until at least the end of May after being placed on the 60-day injured list when the club claimed right-hander Merandy Gonzalez off waivers on Opening Day. Whether this injury substantially pushes back his timeline isn’t yet clear. Because the surgery isn’t common among big league pitchers, there’s little in terms of historical precedent to use as a barometer. David Price’s carpal tunnel issues were a storyline last season, but the Red Sox lefty didn’t undergo surgery.
Signed to a four-year contract in the 2016-17 offseason, Cecil logged a respectable 3.88 ERA in 67 1/3 innings in his first season with St. Louis but posted a 6.89 mark over 32 2/3 innings during an injury-shortened 2018 campaign. He began the season on the shelf due to a shoulder sprain and would later miss time due to a foot injury as well.
The Cardinals still owe Cecil the remainder of this year’s $7.5MM salary as well as a $7MM salary for the 2020 season. Cecil’s injury currently leaves Andrew Miller as the only left-hander in manager Mike Shildt’s bullpen, though the Cards also have lefty Tyler Webb in Triple-A and on the 40-man roster should the need for a second southpaw become more pronounced.
The gaming epidemic continues…
…only for a Fortnite.
Well done.
bravo!!!
Nicely done, sir.
Shouldn’t be that hard for millionaires to get a lady!
I get it, but he has a wife and 3 kids. That stupid tattoo on his left arm is for one of them. I remember when he got it then pitched like trash for the Jays and I blamed it lol.
This is honestly the best thing that could happen for Cecil and the team at this point. Indefinite injury timetable opens up an indefinite 40 man spot. They get a free look at that waiver claim guy without jettisoning any potentially useful pieces. Cecil was solid in 2017, despite bad BABIP results, and STL fans do tend to forget that. Since then though, it’s been an abject disaster. I hope he can turn it around.
Yeah, I can see where pitching with CTS might be a bit difficult, especially if he was experiencing numbness.
Mo Money well spent. Buy him out. End this facade.
Buy who out? They are paying Cecil what they guaranteed him regardless of his status. It costs the Cardinals nothing (not even a roster spot) other than money spent on rehab to keep him; there is no savings to be had. On the slim chance he comes back healthy, it is worth keeping him on the team…
Mo Money, Mo Problems
So it wasn’t a fake injured list stint after all, who woulda thought! Glad he’s not taking up a roster space, might as well see where the surgery/recovery process takes him.
Take as much time as you need Mr. Cecil.
Cecil was an unsung hero in Toronto. His work was underappreciated. Hope he recovers.
Injuries are just devastating the Cardinals this year.