The St. Louis Cardinals will continue their season without right-handed starting pitcher Miles Mikolas. Mikolas was initially placed on the 10-day Injured List with a right forearm strain on July 28. Since then, beat writer Anne Rogers has reported that Mikolas will undergo surgery to fix his right flexor tendon, and he will consequently miss the rest of the 2020 season. The 31-year-old first reported elbow soreness during spring training.
Miles Mikolas To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery https://t.co/EABN2CxeA8 pic.twitter.com/ZE9KuTA7qU
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) July 28, 2020
Mikolas’s Career
Miles Mikolas spent his last two seasons in St. Louis after being signed as a free agent in 2017. In 2018, Mikolas posted a 2.83 ERA and allowed only 1.3 BB/9. His stats faltered a little in 2019, but he remained an effective and durable starter. Mikolas pitched the team’s 2020 exhibition game against the Kansas City Royals. He allowed two runs and five hits over four innings and 76 pitches. As the fifth pitcher in the rotation, Mikolas was slated to start Wednesday’s game against the Minnesota Twins.
Possible Replacements
On Tuesday, the Cardinals activated Giovanny Gallegos from the injured list and recalled Jake Woodford from the team’s training site in Springfield. Though neither pitcher will start, Gallegos and Woodford will supplement the bullpen.
The Cardinals have already announced that right-hander Daniel Ponce de Leon will start on Wednesday. Ponce de Leon made a brief one out appearance in Saturday’s victory. The 28-year-old has a career 3.29 ERA over 82 innings pitched.
While Ponce de Leon may remain in the rotation, the Cardinals could also consider Kwang Hyun Kim and Austin Gomber. Before the season began, Kim competed with Carlos Martinez for a starting role. In Kim’s only inning for the Cardinals so far, he allowed two hits and a run. If the Cardinals are willing to abandon Kim as a closer, he could be an efficient starter. Gomber is a 26-year-old who struggled to stay healthy over the 2019 season. He would add a versatile left-handed arm to the rotation. Between Ponce de Leon, Kim, and Gomber, the Cardinals should be able to replace Mikolas’s production for this short season.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
