After missing the whole 2022 season to this point, St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Jack Flaherty is set to take the ball this week and make his much-anticipated return.
The talented hurler will be the starter on Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Flaherty could have made at least one additional minor league rehab start in Triple-A Memphis, but will instead join the Cardinals’ rotation immediately and take the mound on Wednesday.
He missed almost 10 weeks of the 2022 campaign with right shoulder inflammation.
The shoulder is the most important body part for a pitcher, so injuries there could be problematic and are treated with extreme caution.
The expectation for Flaherty will be throwing around 60 pitches against the Pirates.
The Pitcher Himself Convinced The Cards To Let Him Return
Flaherty convinced the Cards to let him return this week.
Manager Oliver Marmol spoke about the situation.
“#STLCards manager Oliver Marmol said ‘we’ve got to be able to trust our guys’ following conversations with RHP Jack Flaherty, who convinced the team that he was ready to start in St. Louis on Wednesday. Said Oli: ‘We operate out of honesty,’” MLB.com’s beat writer for the Cardinals John Denton tweeted.
#STLCards manager Oliver Marmol said “we’ve got to be able to trust our guys” following conversations with RHP Jack Flaherty, who convinced the team that he was ready to start in St. Louis on Wednesday. Said Oli: “We operate out of honesty.”
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) June 14, 2022
The Cardinals could really use a pitcher like Flaherty, who has a solid 3.34 ERA for his career, in their rotation, as they try to fend off the Milwaukee Brewers in their quest for the NL Central title.
The Cardinals are currently one game up in the standings, and welcoming Flaherty back to their rotation is certainly a boon to their chances.
There is some risk in St. Louis’ decision, too, as players usually like to rush back from injuries, sometimes way too soon.
But they are prepared to accept that risk and move forward.
