Major League Baseball

Report: Adam Wainwright likely done for the season

Published Apr. 26, 2015 12:30 p.m. ET

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By Joe Lucia

St. Louis Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season following a leg injury he suffered during Saturday’s 5-2 win over the Brewers.

According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, Wainwright suffered an achilles injury.

How did Wainwright get hurt? Why, he slipped coming out of the batter’s box, of course. This is yet another reason for the National League to adopt the designated hitter.

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Seeing Wainwright come out of the box like he did reminded me of a certain incident from about three years ago that completely destroyed a franchise.

Ryan Howard, who tore his achilles in 2011, has not been the same player since the injury. Hopefully, Wainwright doesn’t follow the same path. The Cardinals ace is signed through 2018 and is in the second year of a five-year, $97.5 million contract extension. In four starts in 2015, the 33-year old has a 1.44 ERA over 25 innings, striking out 18 and walking just three. He’s made 102 starts over the past four seasons since missing all of the 2011 season following Tommy John surgery.

If Wainwright’s season is finished, it’s obviously awful news for the Cardinals. St. Louis does have prospect Marco Gonzales waiting in the wings at Triple-A Memphis, but he was just placed on the DL with tightness in his left shoulder. Furthermore, the Cardinals already have a pair of inexperienced starters holding rotation spots in Carlos Martinez and Michael Wacha, who have combined to throw just 329 2/3 innings in the majors.

I doubt the Cardinals will panic and make a move for someone like Cole Hamels, but if the NL Central remains a tight race come July and their rotation isn’t holding up well, John Mozeliak and company might be forced to make a move if they’re without Wainwright for the rest of the season.

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