The Cardinals reportedly plan to remove pitcher Jaime Garcia from their NLDS roster because of a shoulder problem, and his teammates are said to be furious with him over the issue.
Garcia missed over two months of the season from June-August because of a shoulder injury that landed him on the 60-day disabled list. He pitched fairly well upon returning from the DL, lowering his season ERA from 4.48 to 3.92. He was the Cardinals’ Game 2 starter for the NLDS, but he was removed after two shaky innings against the Nationals and replaced by Lance Lynn, who got the win.
Garcia was sent for an MRI on the shoulder, and the Cardinals reportedly are waiting for the results before deciding his future. St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Joe Strauss said on Twitter that Garcia was going to be removed from the postseason roster. Strauss also reported that several Cardinals players are upset with Garcia for starting a playoff game without telling the team that he was injured. Others reportedly question whether the injury was enough to prevent him from pitching deeper into the game.
GM John Mozeliak called Garcia’s handling of the situation “frustrating.”
We can understand why Garcia may have kept the shoulder issue to himself. He was probably trying to tough it out, give his team everything he could, and avoid letting down his teammates. But by keeping the news of his shoulder problems to himself, he let down his team because it prevented them from making an informed decision about the playoff rotation.
What’s odd is that he pronounced himself “healthy” in this pregame interview. He was obviously lying.
Photo Credit: Brad Mills-US PRESSWIRE
