Only one game into the 2011 MLB season, and it is already extremely difficult to be a St. Louis Cardinals fan. The most significant blow for the Birds came over a month ago, when Adam Wainwright was lost for the season to Tommy John’s surgery — an injury that could sink St. Louis in itself. Optimists shook off the loss by reasoning that the Cardinals still boast a lineup that features Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday, two of the best hitters in the National League. Then Holliday went down.
According to StlToday.com, Holliday will miss at least four to six weeks after undergoing an appendectomy on Friday. Obviously it’s better this happens now than four months from now, but Tony La Russa will need to do a great job of keeping spirits up in the clubhouse given all the adversity his team has already faced.
We already know the Cardinals’ pitching rotation will be significantly weaker all season without its ace. Over the next month or so, they’ll need players like Lance Berkman and Colby Rasmus to step up and produce runs. The good news is it can’t possibly get much worse, can it?
