The St. Louis Cardinals have received some bad news on first baseman Matt Adams: he could possibly miss the rest of the 2015 season. Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Adams' strained quadriceps is serious enough for the left-handed slugger to need surgery, which could put him out of action for up to four months. This would mean that Adams does not return this year.

Adams had an MRI on the quadriceps Wednesday, and the results showed the extent of the strain. Hummel quoted the first baseman discussing the severity of the injury that led to the decision to have potential season-ending surgery. Said Adams,

The results came back worse than what we were expecting. The timetable is three to four months. If things go well then, hopefully, I’ll be able to get back at the end of the season.

“It was just something that needed to be done. There’s a torn tendon in there that needs to be repaired. It’s a tough break. It’s not what I wanted.

The surgery will occur on Friday, May 29, and Dr. David King will perform it. Dr. King is a member of the Cardinals' Mercy medical team. 

Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak appeared on KMOX, the flagship radio station of the Cardinals. Mozeliak announced the news during the interview, and KMOX tweeted the announcement as Mozeliak spoke.

At this point, Adams is still on the 15-day disabled list and 40-man roster, but that will have to change to make room for his potential replacement.

Mark Reynolds will most likely continue to play first base in Adams's absence. Reynolds is hitting .253 with 3 HR and 13 RBI in 99 at at bats, and he has taken approximately 2/3 of those at bats against right-handed pitchers. He is hitting .265 against right-handers and .226 against southpaws.

Outfielder Jon Jay is the most-likely candidate to return to the 25-man roster once he completes his Minor League rehab assignment as he recovers from thumb and wrist injuries.

Adams is hitting .243/.281/.375 with 4 HR and 20 RBI in 43 games.

The Cardinals are deep enough and have a manager in Mike Matheny who knows how to work with the talent that the team has on its active roster and in the Minors. The N.L. Central-leading Cardinals will do just fine.

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About the author
Raymond Bureau
Raymond became a baseball fan at a very young age. He played baseball through high school and soon after became a varsity coach. He is now the P.A. announcer at his high school where he teaches. Raymond previously produced radio sports talk shows and hosted a weekly MLB radio call-in show. His favorite teams are the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees. Raymond is a devoted husband, father, and Christ follower. His life verses are Philippians 4:13, John 14:6, and Isaiah 41:10.