St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Carlos Martinez is expected to miss the remainder of the 2015 season after suffering a strain of his right shoulder, according to a club announcement.
Martinez was pulled from last night's game against the Milwaukee Brewers in the top of the first inning after having thrown just seven pitches before undergoing a full body MRI which revealed a grade 2 strain in that shoulder.
The Cardinals, who recently clinched the NL Central division, are unlikely to see Martinez make an appearance as he will eventually have a timeline established as part of the healing process.
In a statement from general manager John Mozeliak, he said, "If this happened, say, Aug. 1, he probably would pitch again. But unfortunately, where we are on the calendar, it's just not going to work out."
Mozeliak said on behalf of the club that they are confident that the issue can be treated with rest, which is a factor in him helping to avoid surgery. As a closing remark to the statement, Mozeliak said that Carlos is expected to be fully healthy by the start of Spring Training.
As per his replacement, Tyler Lyons is expected to make the start next week on Wednesday in Pittsburgh, and will likely take his spot in the rotation come the start of the playoffs based on how the team goes about setting the order.
While reflecting on the year Martinez has had, Mozeliak said, "This doesn't take anything away from his year. He showed he's an elite-level starting pitcher. He wanted to get into the rotation, he earned it, and needless to say, when he was on, he was one of the more dominant guys in the Majors."
Martinez later spoke to the media and added this, "After this I'm going to continue to work hard and continue to get better. When they tell me I'm ready to throw, I'm going to go out there. But mentally, I'm in a good place, knowing I've given it my all. Things happen for a reason."