Cardinals place three-time All-Star on injured list

The Cardinals put veteran right-hander Adam Wainwright on the 15-day injured list, with manager Oli Marmol citing “a variety of limitations” via The Athletic’s Katie Woo. Woo added that the official designation for Wainwright’s IL stint was shoulder inflammation. MLB.com’s John Denton noted that Wainwright made clear that he intends to return before the end of the season.

Wainwright, 41, is currently in the midst of his twentieth season as a member of the Cardinals organization and his eighteenth pitching for the big league club. After posting the numbers of a solid middle of the rotation starter over the past few seasons, with a 3.57 ERA and 3.90 FIP in 635 1/3 innings since the start of the 2019 campaign, the wheels have fallen off for the veteran hurler in 2023. Through 10 starts this season, Wainwright has posted a ghastly 7.45 ERA that’s 41% worse than league average by measure of ERA+ with a 5.47 FIP. His strikeout rate has dropped from 17.8% last season to a measly 10.7% this season, a figure that’s actually lower than his sky-high barrel rate of 10.9%.

With Wainwright headed to the IL, the Cardinals figure to look toward one of Steven Matz or Dakota Hudson to join the starting rotation. 

Matz has struggled to a 5.72 ERA in 10 starts this season, but has shown signs of life since moving to the bullpen with an excellent 1.98 ERA in 13 2/3 innings of work as a multi-inning relief arm. 

Hudson, meanwhile, has spent most of the 2023 campaign in the minors with an unsightly 6.00 ERA in 48 Triple-A innings, but the righty impressed with 2 2/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen recently, a performance that could earn Hudson another look on the major league pitching staff.

More from the National League.

• Dodgers right-hander Noah Syndergaard could return in the near future, as manager Dave Roberts told reporters, including Jack Harris of the LA Times, that Syndergaard is scheduled to throw live batting practice later this week and that, if it goes well, he could advance to a rehab assignment shortly thereafter. Syndergaard struggled mightily to a 7.12 ERA with a 5.55 FIP across 12 starts prior to his placement on the injured list a month ago. Despite those ugly numbers, if Syndergaard has managed to get right during his time on the shelf, he could be an asset to a Dodgers rotation that recently saw Clayton Kershaw head to the IL and Dustin May’s season end with impending elbow surgery.
• Marlins center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. went on the injured list with a left oblique strain just a week after returning from a six week IL stint due to turf toe. Fortunately for Miami, Chisholm’s MRI results showed only a mild strain, per Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald. That’s excellent news, as mild strains can often be resolved fairly quickly. Chisholm will have the upcoming All Star break to rest and rehab and while no timetable for his return has been announced, it’s possible he could return to big league action shortly thereafter.