Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright will see a doctor Monday after exiting Saturday's start with an Achilles injury, but the expectation is that he'll miss the remainder of the season, CBSSports.com Baseball Insider Jon Heyman reports.
The Cardinals placed Wainwright on the 15-day DL Sunday with what's being called a low left ankle and Achilles injury. In his place, the team has recalled catcher Cody Stanley.
Wainwright appeared to suffer the injury during one of his own at-bats, stumbling out of the batter's box. The Cardinals announced that the pitcher suffered an ankle injury, and the pitcher himself said after the game that the injury was in the back of the ankle.
"Obviously, anytime you're dealing with an Achilles, it's not good, whether it's a strain or a tear," general manager John Mozeliak said, per MLB.com. "Either way, he's missing time. I'll wait until he sees the doctor tomorrow before making a [definitive] statement [about how long he'll be out]. But clearly, it's not good news."
Wainwright is 2-1 with a 1.44 ERA and 18:3 K:BB ratio in 25 innings. With Jaime Garcia (shoulder) and Triple-A starter Marco Gonzales (pectoral) still on the mend, the team could turn to Triple-A pitcher Tyler Lyons or long-reliever Carlos Villanueva to fill Wainwright's rotation spot for the immediate future, with Garcia or Gonzales likely to enter the rotation when healthy if Wainwright is dealing with a season-ending injury.
"I just know that we have different guys who are ready to take whatever responsibility comes, whatever role comes," manager Mike Matheny said. "When I say we need someone to step up, there's going to be an opportunity for someone to start. And there's going to be some opportunities for leadership, too. Even during this DL time, I know Adam is still going to be around. But it's different every time you take someone away or add someone. We have to make sure that things are getting taken care of, work is getting done and leadership is there. We have all the pieces to make that happen."