Since September of last season, Adam Wainwright has not quite been himself.
Once the ace of the St. Louis Cardinals, the two-time World Series champion and three-time All-Star now finds himself on a downward trend.
He took the ball for St. Louis on Monday and pitched well, holding the Kansas City Royals to three runs over five innings of work while striking out six.
However, he has not recorded a quality start since August of 2022.
On Twitter, Cardinals analyst Brandon Kiley pointed out a very concerning trend for the veteran right-hander, showing his numbers over his last 11 starts dating back to last September.
Adam Wainwright’s last 11 starts, dating back to September 2022:
2022:
5 IP, 4 ER
5 IP, 4 ER
5 IP, 1 ER
6 IP, 4 ER
3 IP, 4 ER
4.2 IP, 6 ER2023:
5 IP, 4 ER
5 IP, 4 ER
5.2 IP, 2 ER
5.2 IP, 5 ER
5 IP, 3 ERTotal: 55 IP, 41 ER, 6.71 ERA
— Brandon Kiley (@BKSportsTalk) May 29, 2023
In all but three of those starts, Wainwright has allowed four or more runs.
Over 55 innings of work, he has allowed 41 earned runs, which adds up to a 6.71 ERA.
This is the last thing the Cardinals need right now in the midst of their struggles, even after seemingly righting the ship.
Wainwright finished 2022 with a 3.71 ERA, but his September performance forced the Cardinals to put him in the bullpen for the postseason, and he did not appear in either of their two losses to the Philadelphia Phillies in the Wild Card Series.
With that in mind, the Cardinals may soon be forced to make a difficult decision with Wainwright.
If his struggles continue, St. Louis may ultimately decide to place him in the bullpen and give somebody like Andre Pallante a chance to compete as a starter, or even make some deals at the trade deadline to upgrade the rotation.
NEXT: Cardinals Prospect Subtly Roasts Organization For Sending Him Down
