Al Bundy |
02-23-2011 09:21 AM |
JUPITER, Fla. -- St. Louis Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright injured his elbow Monday and is returning to St. Louis to have it examined by team doctors.
General manager John Mozeliak said Wednesday that "things do not look encouraging" for the 2010 Cy Young Award runner-up, based on the initial evaluation by the training staff, and believed it is a "significant injury."
He said the right-hander injured his elbow in Monday's bullpen session.
"There's a problem with the ligament," Mozeliak said, according to the New York Daily News. "But it doesn't look good."
An update is expected Wednesday afternoon.
Wainwright went 20-11 with a 2.42 ERA in 2010, finishing second in the Cy Young Award balloting to Philadelphia's Roy Halladay.
He won his 19th and 20th games while nursing a right forearm strain hurt in a freak accident at home. He was shut down for the rest of the season, based on the recommendation of the team doctor.
An MRI exam in late September showed a strained muscle in his forearm and inflammation near the elbow. At the time, the Cardinals believed Wainwright would be fine with rest, and the pitcher said the elbow ligament was not an issue.
Wainwright said he had slept on the arm earlier in September, woke up, found the arm numb and flung it aside instead of waiting for feeling to return.
In 2009, Wainwright led the NL in wins (19), innings (233) and starts (34), winning a Gold Glove while finishing third in the Cy Young voting.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
|