St. Louis Cardinals righty Adam Wainwright is heading to the injured list, manager Oliver Marmol told reporters following Tuesday's 15-2 loss to the Miami Marlins (per The Athletic). Marmol did not specify an injury. He only revealed Wainwright is dealing with multiple issues and is heading back to St. Louis for evaluation.
The Marlins hammered Wainwright for seven runs (four earned) in 3 1/3 innings Tuesday. He retired only 10 of the 20 batters he faced and has a 7.66 ERA just beyond the season's halfway point. Over the winter the 41-year-old has announced he will retire after this season.
Wainwright struggled with Team USA in the World Baseball Classic and the underlying numbers support his 7.66 ERA this year. He's been very home run prone and he isn't missing many bats. Opponents took a .358/.403/.581 slash line with loud contact quality numbers (exit velocity, etc.) against Wainwright into Tuesday's game.
Just last season Wainwright pitched to a 3.71 ERA in 191 2/3 innings. He did not strike out many hitters, though he kept the ball in the park and took the ball every fifth day like clockwork. Adjusted for ballpark and the league's run-scoring environment, Wainwright was 6% better than league average in 2022. His crash this year has been drastic.
The Cardinals have not yet announced who will replace Wainwright in the rotation, though that's not much of an issue. Wainwright's rotation spot comes up again Sunday, the day before the All-Star break, so St. Louis could empty their bullpen that day knowing their relievers will have plenty of time to rest next week.
Tuesday's loss dropped the Cardinals to 35-50 on the season. They are in last place and 11.5 games back in the NL Central, and 11 games back of the third and final National League wild-card spot. St. Louis could sell at the trade deadline.
