Normally dominant in the month of September, Adam Wainwright has run into some problems this year.
In five starts this month, the St. Louis Cardinals veteran ace is 2-2 with a 6.26 ERA, with his most recent start being one where he allowed four runs in just three innings of work against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
We now know that Wainwright has been dealing with a “dead arm.”
He’s only had one start this month where he has allowed fewer than four runs.
When asked about the possibility of giving Wainwright some time to rest and recuperate, manager Oliver Marmol said he understands that it seems questionable to keep pitching him, but that it’s the best option for the ace.
Cards Stick With Waino
To Cardinals fans, this certainly does seem questionable.
But if Wainwright was hurt, we would definitely have figured that out by now.
Wainwright even said in his postgame interview on Sunday that his arm feels fine and that the best path is to keep going.
With that being said however, Wainwright’s next start is going to be a big one.
He’ll start the home finale on October 2.
While it’s very likely the Cardinals will have already clinched the NL Central by then, Wainwright will essentially be pitching for his spot in the postseason rotation for St. Louis.
He’ll need to be sharp and efficient to prove that he can still pitch in key spots.
Cardinals fans know all too well that Wainwright is one of the best in the business when it comes to bouncing back from adversity, especially after a bad start.
There’s nothing saying he can’t do it again, but that’s also not to say that his spot in the rotation is secure if he has another clunker in his next start.
Perhaps then, Marmol could look to put him in the bullpen for the postseason.
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