Adam Wainwright went from being the expected starter for the St. Louis Cardinals on Opening Day to hitting the injury list.
Wainwright will miss Opening Day for St. Louis due to a groin injury. A scan revealed that he has a groin strain.
Wainwright suffered the injury while working out in the weight room on Tuesday prior to Team USA’s championship game against Japan in the World Baseball Classic at loanDepot Park in Miami, Fla. He threw a bullpen afterwards and apparently that’s when the injury was noticed.
The Cardinals will likely receive some financial relief to help cover Wainwright’s $17.5 million salary while he is out thanks to an insurance policy covering injuries that occur during the WBC. But the team will need to find a replacement pitcher in the meantime who can help cover some innings.
Though he is 41, Wainwright was in the mix as the Cardinals’ top pitcher last season. He went 11-12 with a 3.71 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. His 191.2 innings pitched trailed only Miles Mikolas on the team.
Wainwright has said this will be his final season before retiring. He will likely miss several weeks while recovering and then will need time to ramp back up in order to pitch at the MLB level.
