The Cardinals will place Jack Flaherty on the 10-day injured list, but the news is much worse than just that, per MLB.com’s Jeff Jones (via Twitter). Flaherty suffered a “significant” oblique injury, adds the Athletic’s Katie Woo. There is no timetable for his return, but the initial word choices here do not paint a positive picture for the Cardinals’ right-hander, who may be looking at a Grade 2 or Grade 3 oblique strain – though no official designation has been given.
This comes as unwelcome news for the Cardinals, who are trying to fend off the Cubs and Brewers for first place in the NL Central. Obviously, losing their ace won’t help that cause. Flaherty has a 2.90 ERA/3.68 FIP in 62 innings through 11 starts, good for 1.0 fWAR. He has been allowing more fly balls than usual with a career-low 36.3 percent groundball rate, but those air-balls haven’t been leaving the yard – 11.7 HR/FB% is the lowest of his career.
The rest of Flaherty’s profile looks pretty close to what we’ve come to expect from the 25-year-old. He’s striking out 26.3 percent of opponents while walking 7.8 percent – both of which are above-average rates for starters this season. He’s averaging 93.9 mph on his four-seamer, which is right in line with the past couple of seasons. He’s gone with more four-seamers than sinkers than usual, but not enough to suggest a change in approach.
In the short-term,Johan Oviedo will take Flaherty’s spot in the rotation. Oviedo was recently optioned to Triple-A, but he’s been recalled in light of Flaherty’s injury. The 23-year-old has a 5.40 ERA/6.02 FIP in 20 innings this season. Before you ask, young hurlers Alex Reyes and Genesis Cabrera have already been ruled out by manager Mike Shildt as rotation options, tweets Jones. Daniel Ponce de Leon or Jake Woodford, however, could be stretched out with the possibility of opening games on the hill.
Big blow for the Cardinals and for Flaherty. Hopefully he comes back sooner rather than later because Flaherty is definitely having a Cy Young caliber season
It is a blow but Flaherty is not having a Cy Young caliber season, imo. And I’m a Cards fan.
You are kidding right? baseballpun? deGrom the best but Flaherty having great year.
he’s not wrong. good sure but there are at least 4-5 pitchers with better numbers
Maybe not Cy Young but a legitimate top-of-the-rotation starter.
I would agree with that. Maybe it depends on how you define “Cy Young caliber” but I don’t think he’s in the top-5 for best in the NL at this point.
Too early to definitively make that call. Every team would love to have him. His mom would love for him to be a Dodger.
No one said he isn’t top of the rotation and no one made any definitive call. Saying that he is not having (note this doesn’t say he can’t or won’t) a cy young caliber season is 100% accurate
Cy if you’re a homer or very good pitcher for everyone else
Ya his FIP indicate he is even worse than his ERA indicates.
Somewhere Jonny Gomes is happy.
I don’t even know were my oblique is. Cmon man!
Lol.
Most of us aren’t in good enough shape to have an oblique.
I had an Oblique injury swinging the bat in a game and let me tell you it hurts. It was the most painful injury I ever had as a player. It doesn’t let you do much of anything.
I’ve injured everything playing ball including knee rebuild, oblique injuries and torn hamstring and the winner of the award was the torn hamstring hands down. You can’t bend over at all it just gives out and you fall on your face. Obliques are new injuries. These players are training too hard. I’m watching Trevor Bauer on his vlog the other day doing things that make zero sense. They’re creating muscle that’s totally unnecessary for the sport. When guys are straining muscles getting out of the shower it’s a problem and quite frankly I’m shocked there’s people who still believe otherwise.
That sucks.
Seems like we’re seeing a lot of these oblique injuries.
Critical loss for the Cardinals. On the other hand, maybe it’ll bring to an end the silly “Cubs must trade Kris Bryant” comments. That division is very much up for grabs and Chicago is playing well.
Time to trade for Jon Gray. Too bad Bridich got fired, otherwise the Rockies would probably give Gray plus a few million in return for a bag of baseballs.
If Gray is going to be the first SP dealt, he will command a decent (not top) prospect in return.
Jon Gray plus 50 million for the Cardinals 8th best prospect.
Scherzer, Hudson, Hand. All free agents after 2021. Can add some depth to the pen and a needed starter. Start with Oviedo, Whitley, and I don’t know what else it would take for 3 rentals. Then DFA Webb. Then go get Ian Kennedy to add to the pen too.
Too early for the Nats to sell. It’s all about the Rockies. Gray can likely be had. Marquez is another possibility though it would take an exceptional offer due to his contract status.
F### F### F###
Significant… so 6 weeks or so.. yikes..
Sign Cashner and put him bull pen to start with.
Max scherzer was quoted shortly after this announcement, “this is why the NL needs the DH. Pitchers shouldn’t hit.”
The report I saw said that he first felt the injury while pitching during the previous inning. Then again after taking a swing with the bat.
Every baseball player SHOULD hit. It’s part of the fabric of the game. They’re called BASEBALL PLAYERS for a reason. When asked “What position do you (want to) play?” how many people say “I want to be a designated hitter”? Hitting is part of the game, just like fielding, throwing, running and yes pitching. When are we going to see the designated catcher or the designated centerfielder come in to play?
I don’t know why people find it exciting to see guys that hit below .100 hitting 2-3 times every 5 days, especially when pitchers are completely dominating on the mound this year
They are probably the same people who were against batting helmets when they were implemented. I don’t get it either.
Not every part of the sport needs to be exciting, they’re playing they should be in the lineup. I hate the DH the only way I would even accept it is if they limit how many appearance a player can have at the DH position I don’t want to ever see a permanent bench bat getting $10M+
@Android, I understand the push for a universal DH, but comparing it to batting helmets is a false equivalency. The reasons for each change are quite different.
I say the Cardinals sign a free agent or trade for a big arm!!
Jeff Samardzija, Anibel Sanchez or Rick Porcello as free agent options!!
The Cardinals will need someone better than that. It’s kinda early to expect the best potential SPs to be traded. The Rockies hold a valuable chip if they make Gray available now. The Cardinals and Cubs can both use him and it might go a long way in deciding that race. Get Gray now and maybe a second SP at the deadline.
The Cardinals have depleted the farm with all the trades for outfielders who didn’t stay or underperformed. There is no one to trade for arms. This is why they were signing Max Moroff and others like him this winter for depth.
Good as now maybe the idiot owners of National League teams will wake up from their lack of common sense and finally institute the DH. This injury never should have happened, but guess the Karma Bus thought otherwise!!!
Yep, pitchers never get hurt pitching. 1 pitcher gets hurt hitting and all of you DH fanatics stand up like your chair is on fire and scream and point…..see! See! Pitchers shouldn’t hit!!!!
It’s laughable.
Read the comment below
To be fair, I am also standing and screaming from my chair saying Eloy Jimenez shouldn’t field either. When a player is just bad at doing something and has no business being in a position professionally, they have a greater chance of injury.
Can’t wait for universal DH
This is the Second Time, SECOND TIME in 5 years you have taken the ACE a way from my team with an at bat… I know Wainwright and Flaherty like hitting, but I like watching them own a sub 3 ERA all season and the team make the playoffs more. Plus Matt Carpenter has a better average on the year than either of them do in there careers… And everyone wants him thrown off the team
… he felt it pitching first…
I’m pro DH. But a pitcher getting hurt pitching isn’t the example to preach on
I am anti-pitchers taking off their own shirts. Penny-pinching owners need to hire someone to perform this task for their star athletes.
Don’t let facts get in the way of the narrative.
The Cardinals would be at a distinct disadvantage if the DH was implemented at any point this season. They would have been forced to play Carpenter everyday and that would effectively have the same impact as letting the pitcher hit. They are better able to replace Jack in the rotation for 6 weeks than they are able to field a full time DH.
@Don, I completely disagree. The Cards don’t *have* to play Carp. They have other options. They don’t have another #1 starter waiting in the wings.
They got by without him for large parts of last season and still made the postseason. Take away Brad Miller and they got almost nothing from the DH spot last season. I would argue that they don’t actually have a lot of options unless you’re talking about Nogowski. He’s 28 and hasn’t hit enough at the the major league level yet. But regardless, Carp would get the AB’s. Check out the first two months of this season. First bat off the bench, first guy to get a start while Tommy fills in somewhere else. There’s no reason to think it would be different with a DH.
This type of thing is always a crappy injury for a team (and player) to suffer. To lose your ace while in the middle of a race is never good.
That said I have to wonder about the wording from the author: “This comes as unwelcome news for the Cardinals.” Is this sort of thing ever welcome news???
It depends. In 1991, I stupidly drafted Pete Smith and Don Carman for my Rotisserie League pitching staff. I used to wish they’d either get hurt or get sent down so I could replace them, but they never did. Instead, they continued to get their heads beat in every fifth day by NL batters. So, yes, there are instances when an injury or two might be welcome news.
Pete Smith only made 10 starts in ’91 and Don Carman made 28 relief appearances and 0 starts. However your point is valid. Sometimes an injury is better than continuously going out and getting hammered. In hindsight i’m sure Mike Maroth would have liked to have skipped a few starts in his 21 loss season in 2003
Andrew Miller says you’re right on the money.
To Rob Manfred: Universal DH, NOW.
Injury report from the Cardinals who are notorious for understating the seriousness of injuries to pitchers.,
Lucky for STL Ponce has starter experience but he’s nothing more than a 5 inning guy with what he walks and his pitch options.
Oviedo is not ready. He’s been thrown into this role and that’s not his fault. Maybe Woodford but right now we’re short arms for the rotation. IMO
I would seriously consider a Thompson call up for the pen and let Ponce pitch out of the rotation for his 5 innings. Not his role but what can you do when your best pitcher is on the mend.
matthew L to the rescue
Air balls??
So I’m just spit balling here, but what does everyone think it would take to get Gallo from the Rangers? I think the Cards need another outfielder and LH bat. I think that’s their greatest need. Another starter and a another reliable reliever would be nice, but pitching is a fickle market especially when you’re talking about relievers. I’d rather exhaust all the in house pitching options unless Scherzer has some burning desire to play in St. Louis(which I’ve never heard) and he can force the Nats to make a below market deal. I think adding to the offense makes the most sense because our in house options on that side are underwhelming.
why left handed outfielder? just need anyone that can hit. gallo swings and misses, a lot. strikes out twice as much as hits
Carrying a .360 OBP. 39 walks already this season. Also a strong defender by reputation. A LH would work best because O’Neil and Bader are RH. They may be able to deploy Gallo in a strategic way that would help his numbers.
lefty/righty don’t matter if the can hit
They just need Dejong and Bader back healthy and the offense will be fine. Gallo doesn’t really move the needle much and definitely wouldn’t make the difference a vet starter would to the big picture.
David Peralta for the extra hitter
Ian Kennedy and Sam Howard for the pen
Matt Boyd for the rotation…Tigers are already far out of it, i bet they’d move him now if the offer wasn’t insulting
I’d love Max…but Nats know EVERYONE will be calling…and will use that to get the best offer to the most desperate team…no way he moves until the last hour of the deadline
If they have to wait…go snag Hamels, or Samardjzia, Porcello, Leake, Bailey…anyone who doesn’t want to be retired and wants a legit chance at getting back in the bigs…. if they don’t work…wash your hands and repeat until trade time comes around
Mitch Haniger. Flaherty comes back in time to carry the team to the division and the playoffs
If BigAl Avila wasn’t such an idiot and Little Chris Pomperoy Caesar wasn’t so tight, they should be on the phone right now.
But alas, idiots run, own and ruin the team I am brainwashed to be fan of.
I said.3 years ago, when Alex was on the DL from second TJ surgery- trade the entire team for the guy. You guys would laugh at the flak idiot Tiger fans dumped on me. I said, he is the best in baseball. And it still hold true!
I guess all Tiger fans are idiots and we prove it everyday by continuing to be Tiger fans…..
Al should offer everything on the table.
Boyd, Fulmer, Soto, Candelario + a large sum of cash…..
Reyes, Gorman, Libertore……
Alex is the best.
The new Tiger motto developed for Tiger fans is, “Hockey pucks have more fun”.
With Flaherty being out, what poor timing for Martinez to be exposed as nothing more than a AA pile of s**t.
He pulled it holding up a certain sign at mostly peaceful protests.