Cardinals General Manager John Mozeliak said he wasn't "overly concerned," given the ailment is unrelated to the pitcher's arm.
The National League Central division is expected to be one of the more competitive in baseball this year, and the defending champion St. Louis Cardinals got some discouraging news about their ace. According to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com), Adam Wainwright experienced abdominal pain during his throwing session on Tuesday and was shut down. He will be sent back to St. Louis for a thorough evaluation.
Wainwright has finished in the Top 3 of the Cy Young voting in four of the last five seasons in which he was healthy. In each of those four seasons, he recorded 19 or more wins, including leading the league in 2009 and 2013. The three-time All-Star was also the MVP in the 2006 World Series when he was at the back end of the bullpen.
The Cardinals open in Chicago against the rival Cubs, a game which Wainwright would be slated to start against free agent acquisition Jon Lester, assuming this proves to be a non-issue.