photo: Adam Wainwright (Jake Roth/USA TODAY Sports)
St. Louis Cardinals press release
The St. Louis Cardinals announced prior to tonight’s (Tuesday’s) game that they have placed right-handed pitcher Adam Wainwright (right elbow inflammation) on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to May 14, and recalled right-handed pitcher Jack Flaherty from Memphis (AAA).
Flaherty is set to start tonight’s series opener against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.
Flaherty, 22, made two starts for the Cardinals earlier this season (April 3 at Milwaukee and April 28 at Pittsburgh), going 0-1 with a 3.60 ERA while striking out 11 batters in 10.0 innings pitched.
In five starts for Memphis, Flaherty was 4-1 with a 2.27 ERA (2nd in the Pacific Coast League) and 41 strikeouts (T5th in PCL). He fanned a season-high 13 batters in his most recent start on May 9 at Oklahoma City.
Flaherty wears uniform no. 32.
Brian Walton’s take
This is already the third DL stint this season for the 36-year old Wainwright, who explained that he re-injured his elbow while warming up prior to Sunday’s start in San Diego. Despite that, he went out and gutted his way through 2 1/3 very tough innings.
That was his return outing coming off the DL, where he had been since April 22. Wainwright opened 2018 on the shelf following a hamstring injury suffered during spring training and was first activated on April 5.
Assuming Wainwright will be out for a longer period this time, it will be a crucial period for Flaherty. With Alex Reyes just three starts away from returning to St. Louis, Flaherty will have a short time to stake a claim to Wainwright’s rotation spot before Reyes is eligible to come off the 60-day disabled list on May 28.
Of course, this assumes that Carlos Martinez’ lat strain is as minor as we were led to believe. Otherwise, both Reyes and Flaherty, The Cardinal Nation’s nos. 1 and 2 prospects, could be needed as replacements among St. Louis’ starting five.
Further, if Wainwright’s DL stay turns out to be longer, a later move of him to the 60-day DL would provide a vehicle for the Cardinals to bring Reyes off the 60-day. That way, they could return Reyes to the 40-man roster without having to risk losing another player on the 40-man.
Memphis did not immediately receive a 25-man active roster replacement for Flaherty. With both Flaherty and John Gant called up to St. Louis, the Triple-A Redbirds have augmented their rotation with swingman Kevin Herget and also deployed Sean Gilmartin as a spot starter.
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Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian on Twitter.
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