The Cardinals are placing right-hander Adam Wainwright on the COVID-19 injured list, Katie Woo of The Athletic tweets. The team’s shelving Wainwright as a precautionary move after one of his family members tested positive for the virus, per Woo. In other moves, the Cardinals have activated outfielder Harrison Bader, placed left-hander Andrew Miller on the 10-day IL with a right foot blister, and recalled righty Kodi Whitley, according to Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat.
Wainwright will miss his scheduled start Sunday in Pittsburgh as a result of this IL placement. However, the Cardinals are hopeful the 39-year-old will take the ball against the Mets on Monday.
Wainwright, a career-long Cardinal whom they re-signed to a one-year, $8MM guarantee in free agency, has given the club quality production yet again this season. While Wainwright didn’t come out of the gate particularly well, he has turned it around over his two most recent starts, including a complete game, two-run effort against the Phillies on Monday. Through five starts and 28 2/3 innings, Wainwright has put up a 4.08 ERA (with a far better 3.28 SIERA) and logged above-average strikeout and walk percentages of 26.4 and 5.0, respectively.
Bader is finally set to make his 2021 debut after missing the first several weeks of the season with a forearm injury. He earned the lion’s share of starts for the Cardinals in center last year and batted .226/.336/.443 with four homers 125 plate appearances. Dylan Carlson has handled the position this season, but he’s capable of lining up at both corner outfield spots. Carlson has gotten off to an excellent start, while utilityman Tommy Edman and Tyler O’Neill have put up decent production in the Cards’ outfield, and Justin Williams has struggled mightily.
Miller, once an elite reliever, has seen his career take a negative turn since he signed a two-year, $25MM guarantee with the Cardinals heading into 2019. Miller’s earning $12MM this year on a club option that vested, but his performance hasn’t matched his salary. He yielded two earned runs on two hits in a third of an inning in a win over the Phillies on Thursday, thereby raising his ERA to 8.59 over 7 1/3 innings. Miller has given up 12 hits, including two homers, and walked four in the early going.
Thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery.
Miller is going to need it. Em’ foot blisters are such rascals.
So was Waino one of the <15% that didn’t get vaccinated?
He’s vaccinated. This is a precautionary because of exposure. Because he’s vaccinated, he’s should only miss the Pittsburgh series.
Thanks. I had missed the family exposure. Hopefully his family member will be ok.
99 percent chance they will be
I never was thrilled with the Miller signing. I was hoping they would sign Zack Britton instead. Both were available at the same time if memory serves me correctly.
Cards let him vest last year. That was the mistake.
Huge mistake. so 30ish mil over 3 years for absolute garbage pitching. Seems like the cards just dont know how to evaluate free agent relievers, or outfielders for that matter. Between him, cecil, gregerson and holland, they have alot of expensive swing and misses lately. Miller was throwing softballs down the middle today and was lucky only 2 runs scored. Guy looks done. With webb struggling too I’d like to see the cards make a move for ollie Perez who was designated yesterday.
My thoughts exactly
I think it would have worked against the Cardinals’ long term interests to go out of their way to keep the leader of the players union contract from vesting. Stinks, but may have played a role.
It’s not “going out of the way”. It’s a stupid option. Vesting options for performance related jobs are insanely stupid. Because if the guy sucks you have to bench him in order to keep from having the option vest. But if you bench him you don’t get what you paid for on the guaranteed years. It’s incredibly stupid.
Guess with the eyes of MLBTR, O’Neill batting .200 is productive.
He has a 107 OPS+, .750 OPS and is hitting .318/.348/.727 with 3 home runs in his last 8 games.
Go, O’Neill. Run with it, brother.
That’s the problem when you get off to a slow start, you have dug yourself a hole average wise, and have to go 2-4 and 3-4 for a good long stretch to get your batting avg. back to .280 to .300 or better.
He doesn’t need to hit 300 to be a good player. This isn’t 1982…..
Exactly. In 1982 striking out every 3rd at bat wasnt good.
.200 is the new .300??
.270 is the new .300… Funny enough on this site watch how inconsistent they are on describing a productive hitter..
That’s probably higher than Bader will hit. It’s 3x Carpenters average. The batting average bar is low this year.
I thought Justin Williams was coming around, but he’s still having trouble making contact. He has been drawing some walks, but he probably needs some time at triple A to get his confidence back. I hope Bader comes out hitting. Andrew Knizner has looked good so far.
William’s has been ok at the plate lately. Less so in the field.
Miller going on the DL with a foot blister screams “you are no longer useful but we’re not going to DFA or trade you, so let’s stash you on the DL for as long as possible thx”
Yeah if you release him then you look stupid for giving him 12.5 million in 2021. And gosh Mo doesn’t like looking stupid. Not unless its a bow tie and sweater gala…….
It is laughable how much some Cardinal fans can’t stand Mozeliak because he often wears a bow tie. Yes, let’s dismiss a well respected former executive of the year who just pulled an absolute heist to get Arrenedo because he don’t spit chaw like ‘Ol Whitey did. But you will forgive Whitey for trading away Hernandez and Van Slyke.
Totally agree!
“Fans” today are very short sighted.
mo doesn’t have to look stupid. he is stupid and looks stupid. he fits them both and can’t do anything about it.
Hernandez had a powder problem err so everyone heard.They had to get him out of St Louis
the world series rings they missed out on by bad management?
Show us YOUR World Series ring? Oh yeah you dont have one, nor do you have the brains or talent to work in baseball.. Your credibility is less then zero..
Did Genesis Cabrera accidentally hit each of them in the head while warming up in the bullpen? Thoughts and prayers…