Adam Wainwright may need Tommy John surgery and miss 2011 season: St Louis Cardinals officials
St Louis Cardinals officials announced on Wednesday that Adam Wainwright was expected to need Tommy John surgery, increasing the speculations about the elimination of the right-handed starting pitcher from the 2011 season.
A news agency alleged that Jonny Gomes of the Cincinnati Reds, a Major League Baseball team, was rejoicing on the probable elimination of his rival Wanwright. But when approached, Gomes denied the news agency report late Wednesday night.
“To clear up everything, I came up with Wainwright. I know Wainwright. I think he is one of the top-notch pitchers in the National League and baseball. Outside of different uniforms that we wear and different cities we play in, playing in the Major Leagues,
we are all brothers. There is a brotherhood there. There is one thing you would never wish upon any other player and that is an injury,” Gomes said.
Looking at the record of Wanwright against the Reds, the Chicago Cubs and other NL teams’ experts believed that losing Wainwright would be huge blow to Cardinals. The 29-year-old has won 20 games and is a runner-up for the National League Cy Young Award.
He had 2.42 ERA in 33 starts and 230 1/3 innings in 2010.
Many players think that Cardinals are like a motor which is losing its balance in the NL. Bill Hall of the Houston Astros said he could not deny Wanwright’s abilities and their effects on other teams.
“Obviously, he’s a big piece to that puzzle, and I feel like without him they’re definitely going to have a little tougher time competing in the division with how strong the division has gotten over the last couple of months. Milwaukee’s gotten way strong
with their additions and this team has gotten strong, and the Cubs got stronger. It is going to be a tough division,” Hall said.
He maintained that the NL was a tougher division than American League as he spent 2010 in the AL and experienced the strength of both the divisions. He remarked that it would be even tougher for Cardinals to make their way through the division win.
On the other side, Cardinals General manager La Russa refused to accept that Wanwright’s injury was related to soreness, instead, he considered it a minor elbow issue. Toronto’s Shaun Marcum could feel the same like Adam since he missed 2009 because of the
same surgery.
Furthermore, the Milwaukee Brewers were prepared to put a strong start with their line-up having star players like Ryan Braun, Rickie Weeks, Corey Hart and Zack Greinke. Ryan Braun was of the view that though Wanwright’s plight was not good but they were
looking to perform until April, 2011 and beyond.
However, the future will reveal how much Adam’s injury affects the Cardinals.