St. Louis Cardinals Pitcher Adam Wainwright Diagnosed with Abdominal Strain, Expected to be Ready for Opening Day
The St. Louis Cardinals seem to have avoided the worst-case scenario with starting pitcher Adam Wainwright‘s recent injury issues, as Wainwright was diagnosed on Thursday with an abdominal strain that will require rest rather than surgery to repair. The Cards’ top starter had headed back to St. Louis for evaluation earlier this week after feeling discomfort while running. Wainwright is expected to miss four of five days and should be ready to resume full activity within several weeks.
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That’s important for Wainwright, who really stands to benefit from spring training this year, as he’s also recovering from arthroscopic elbow surgery that he underwent in late October. He’s been able to throw for the majority of the offseason, but one would think that pitching in spring games would be important for him to build confidence as he throws to opposing hitters for the first time since undergoing the surgery.
If Wainwright’s injury had been so serious that it required surgery, it could have been a major issue. Detroit Tigers starter Justin Verlander had abdominal surgery in January of 2014, and though he didn’t miss regular season time with the ailment, it could have been a major factor in him having one of the worst seasons of his big-league career, and by far his worst since 2008. Verlander, who had been an All-Star for five straight years while winning both the AL Cy Young and MVP in 2011, finished 15-12 with a 4.54 ERA, a 1.398 WHIP, and a total of 159 strikeouts, which was his lowest total in that category since 2006.