The St. Louis Cardinals have confirmed what they and their fans did not want to hear: ace Adam Wainwright is out for the season.
Adam Wainwright is scheduled for surgery on Thursday. Recovery is 9-12 months, and the club is optimistic of his return.
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) April 27, 2015
Wainwright underwent an MRI Monday morning, and the test revealed a torn Achillies tendon in his left ankle. Wainwright will undergo surgery Thursday, and the expected recovery time is nine to twelve months, ending his season and jeopardizing the start of 2016.
Wainwright injured his ankle Saturday while batting. He popped up, and as he started to run to first, he felt a pop in his ankle. He never made it to the bag and needed help leaving the field.
Wainwright said that he felt as if something hit him. On Saturday, MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch quoted the big right-hander describing the pain and the initial hopes of not missing the season. Said Wainwright then,
"What I've been told is don't even think anything until the doctor tells you what it is. I've not gotten my hopes up or down. I'm just going to try to be a positive influence here today and tomorrow and see what happens. … Everything right now is just speculation. I thought I got hit by something. If you look at the replay, I kind of get out of the box and I look back thinking, 'Gosh, the catcher's mask must have hit me. The bat must have hit me or something."
Monday evening, Langosch said that the Cardinals have not yet decided who will take Wainwright's rotation spot, be it a Minor-League call-up, a reliever moving into the rotation, or a trade for a starting pitcher. In the meantime, Wainwright is on the 15-day disabled list, and catcher Cody Stanley has come up from the Minors to fill in the roster spot. Stanley can catch for a short time to give Yadier Molina a chance to rest his right knee, which has experienced tightness.
Langosch quoted Cardinals manager Mike Matheny discussing the rotation vacancy and the void left by Wainwright's absence. Said Matheny,
"I just know that we have different guys who are ready to take whatever responsibility comes, whatever role comes. When I say we need someone to step up, there's going to be an opportunity for someone to start. And there's going to be some opportunities for leadership, too. Even during this DL time, I know Adam is still going to be around. But it's different every time you take someone away or add someone. We have to make sure that things are getting taken care of, work is getting done and leadership is there. We have all the pieces to make that happen."
Entering play on April 27, the Cardinals lead the Major Leagues with a 2.25 ERA. Wainwright's is 1.44. Four other starters, John Lackey, Lance Lynn, Michael Wacha, and Carlos Martinez, have all pitched solidly with Wacha and Martinez posting ERA's even lower than Wainwright's.
If any team can overcome the loss of its ace, it is the Cardinals. They have not only the talent on the field but one of the best managers in the game in Matheny, who knows what situations to put his players into and how to get the best from every one of them. The Cardinals will miss Wainwright, but they will still make things tough for their N.L. Central division rivals.