St. Louis Cardinals fans troll Adam Wainwright as veteran arm set to start new season in IL: “Washed anyways so don’t really care”
Adam Wainwright is one of the most experienced pitchers in the modern MLB. The 41-year-old, 6-foot-7 right-hander began his career with the St. Louis Cardinals and has remained with the team ever since.
Wainwright has punched his ticket to several All-Star games and has won a pair of World Series rings. He also won a Silver Slugger Award, a rare feat for a pitcher, after hitting two home runs and 11 RBIs in 2017.
Despite signing a one-year deal worth $17.5 million with the Cardinals this past offseason, it now appears as though Adam Wainwright will start the season on the IL with a groin strain.
Adam Wainwright will start the season on the IL with a groin strain, per @JohnDenton555 https://t.co/nom2vaJ4P9
"Adam Wainwright will start the season on the IL with a groin strain, per @JohnDenton555" - Talkin' Baseball
The injury came after Wainwright appeared in the recent World Baseball Classic for Team USA. Wainwright started two games, getting credited with wins in both and striking out five opposing batters.
Coming into the 2023 season, Wainwright is the second-oldest pitcher in the MLB after 42-year-old Rich Hill of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Although his WBC outing was a relative success, Adam Wainwright eventually succumbed to injury.
@TalkinBaseball_ @JohnDenton555 WBC takes another life…
Although Adam Wainwright has compiled nearly 200 wins, 2,147 strikeouts and 2,565 innings pitched over the past 17 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, fans do not seem too unphased about him missing the start of the new season.
@TalkinBaseball_ @JohnDenton555 Washed anyways so don’t really care.
@TalkinBaseball_ @JohnDenton555 He wasn’t good enough to start a playoff game for the Cardinals anyway.
@TalkinBaseball_ @JohnDenton555 Guy literally throws 84. It’ll be ok.
Wainwright has always been a pitcher equipped with great longevity and pitches to contact. He has led the league in hits twice, but has also logged the most complete games in the MLB three times, most recently during the 2021 season.
@TalkinBaseball_ @JohnDenton555 high schoolers can hit this guy i think the cards will be fine
@TalkinBaseball_ @JohnDenton555 He’s 40 years old and throws 80 poo. Cardinals will be just fine to start the season
Although it is not known exactly how long Wainwright will be out on account of his injury, the official position of the team is that he will most likely be out of the starting rotation for "several months." The Cardinals will kick off their 2023 season on March 30 against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Adam Wainwright's possible final year is starting off on a sour note
At the age of 41 and on a one-year deal, many are expecting Wainwright to announce his retirement at the end of the season. With the injury, his probable farewell season has now been cut short by a considerable margin.
Even if Wainwright decides to come back and pitch in 2024, older pitchers with a history of injuries do not have the best track record when it comes to attracting good deals in their early 40s.