2023 has been a nightmare season for the St. Louis Cardinals, who were picked by most to be the clear favorite in the NL Central.
However, they now sit at 35-50 and are well out of contention in both the divisional and Wild Card races.
Things got even worse on Tuesday when Adam Wainwright allowed seven runs, four of them earned, against the Miami Marlins, resulting in a 15-2 loss which dropped them to 15 games below .500.
After the game, manager Oli Marmol revealed that the 41-year-old right-hander is likely headed to the injured list with shoulder discomfort.
Katie Woo of The Athletic reported the news on Twitter.
Oli Marmol tells reporters in Miami that Adam Wainwright has been dealing with a variety of limitations and will be headed to the Injured List. Wainwright will travel back home for further evaluation. #STLCards
— Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) July 4, 2023
Wainwright has had three consecutive outings in which he has not pitched past the fourth inning and has allowed six or more runs.
It appears that the Cardinals have discovered the reason as to why.
Wainwright has dealt with his fair share of elbow issues over the course of his career, but was able to bounce back in 2018 after making some key adjustments.
Unfortunately, Wainwright is in his final Major League season and may not have long to turn things around.
The three-time All-Star is 3-4 with a 7.66 ERA in his 11 starts this season.
Now, it is uncertain whether the right-hander will pitch again in 2023, which would ultimately cause a sour end to his legendary career.
This is an unfortunate situation for Wainwright and the Cardinals, and if this the end of his career, it makes for a sad ending.
However, the record shows that Wainwright was one of the greatest players to ever wear the Birds on the Bat.
NEXT: Brendan Donovan Got Some Support From A Cardinals Legend
