The St. Louis Cardinals have announced that starting pitcher Michael Wacha has been placed on the 10-day Injured List due to left knee tendinitis. The move is retroactive to April 19. In order to fill a roster spot, the club recalled utility-man Drew Robinson from Triple-A.
Wacha currently has a 1-0 record and sports a 4.64 ERA in four starts in 2019.
We have recalled INF/OF Drew Robinson from Memphis (AAA) and placed RHP Michael Wacha (left knee patellar tendinitis) on the 10-day IL, retroactive to April 19. pic.twitter.com/BkkQQMCtzM
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) April 22, 2019
Michael Wacha Placed on Injured List
Wacha Off to Good Start
Despite struggling with command issues, Wacha has put together a solid 2019 campaign. The Cardinals right-hander currently leads the team with 24 strikeouts in 21.1 innings pitched, which has resulted in a career-best 10.1 K/9 mark.
After a rough outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Wacha responded against a talented Milwaukee Brewers lineup. He completed six strong innings of two-run baseball with seven strikeouts while picking up his first win of the season.
Michael Wacha with 6+ strong innings to go along with 7 strikeouts! ? pic.twitter.com/RDhcO7ctTN
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) April 17, 2019
Tough Break for Wacha
With free agency looming, Wacha was looking to not only have a great year on the mound but also attempt to stay healthy. Injuries have plagued Wacha in the past, and the hope for 2019 was that it would be a different story. Wacha will enter free agency at the young age of 28 and will likely receive a lot of interest from front offices around Major League Baseball. However, having only pitched 84.1 innings in 2018 and averaging just 24 starts per season since becoming a component in the St. Louis rotation, there will be many General Managers wondering if Wacha is worth the cost.
It looks like returning from the Injured List and staying healthy for the rest of 2019 might be the make or break point for Wacha in hopes of signing an immense contract in this upcoming off-season.
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