The Cardinals have placed left-hander Kwang Hyun Kim and outfielder Justin Williams on the 10-day injured list, manager Mike Shildt told reporters. Kim left his start last night due to lower back tightness, while Williams is dealing with a stiff neck. Righty Angel Rondon (as reported earlier today) and first baseman John Nogowski have been called up from Triple-A to fill the roster spots.
A similar back problem sidelined Kim during Spring Training and kept him from making his 2021 debut until April 17. The 32-year-old’s second Major League season has been pretty solid, as Kim has overcome some lackluster peripheral numbers to post a 4.05 ERA/4.25 SIERA over 40 innings of work. Kim’s current injury doesn’t seem as serious as his earlier injury, Shildt told MLB.com’s Katie Woo and other reporters, so the team is hoping a minimal 10-day stint will correct the issue.
A quick return from Kim would certainly help a St. Louis rotation that is already without Jack Flaherty and Miles Mikolas due to injuries. Johan Oviedo is slated to start today, and Shildt said that Rondon will be used as a long reliever for the time being. The Cardinals have off-days on both Monday and Thursday this week, so if Kim is indeed only out for 10 days, the team might not need a replacement starter at all.
Injuries in the outfield have led to a lot of playing time for Williams this season, as he has appeared in 51 of the Cardinals’ 58 games. Williams is hitting only .160/.270/.261 in 137 plate appearances, and when combined with some below-average defense, Williams has been a sub-replacement level (-0.8 fWAR) performer. Prior to this season, Williams had appeared is only four MLB games over parts of two seasons with St. Louis and Tampa Bay.
Brutal. Cards now have 3/5 of their rotation on the IL. 4 if you count Hudson. Plus their closer, SS and CF.
I’d expect the Brewers to have a healthy lead in the division by the end of the month based on the schedule and overall health of the team.
The same Brew Crew that can’t hit their way out of a paper bag? Don’t expect them to run away with anything.
I don’t expect any team to build a “healthy lead” in this division.
The way injuries are depleting teams this year, I don’t think anyone has enough depth to put together a sustained run. The Cubs are playing well right now. The Brewers have hung around all season but their run differential suggests they are about what their record says they are. I hope the Cardinals can tread water until they get healthy or are able to add some pieces. It’s probably going to be tight until the end.
I am expecting 3-4 game lead for the Brewers by the end of the June. Certainly surmountable by the end of the season.
Shelby Miller seems worth a look at this point. Mo said he isn’t interested in someone needing to “ramp up” to get ready. Miller should be reasonably stretched out and if healthy should be able to go pretty quickly. Justin Williams isn’t ready,even when healthy.
I miss Lance Lynn