While the Cardinals limp to the finish line of the 2010 season, Adam Wainwright will watch from the dugout. According to Derek Goold of stltoday.com, Wainwright has been shut down with a muscle strain near his right elbow and inflammation on a nerve within the joint. No interior structural damage was cited, and the Cardinals said that shutting down Wainwright was strictly "precautionary."
Wainwright (20-11, 2.42 ERA, 230.1 IP, 230 K's) has been the front runner for the NL Cy Young award for most of the season, but recently fell behind Philadelphia Phillies ace Roy Halladay with a string of less than stellar performances.
In Wainwright's last 8 starts, he has gone just 3-5 and watched his ERA rise from 1.99 to 2.42. Its obvious the tenderness and strain in his elbow certainly has had an effect on Wainwright down the stretch to what still has been an outstanding season.
With another strong start and victory, Wainwright's case for the NL Cy Young would've been strengthened, but even Wainwright knows that going out there again would not be worth the risk.
"All of those muscles are designed to help keep your muscle stable, so when you lose a muscle then it puts more pressure on the ligament and tendons," Wainwright said. "For me to go out there and pitch minus a muscle is not smart.
I have a million reasons why I should or could go out there and pitch, but none of them are worth the risk. ... The more you do it, the more risk you have."
Its a shame that Wainwright will have to watch the writers cast their ballots for the second year just to see his name second on the list.
Wainwright is a bulldog. He pitches with tenacity. He takes the same attitude he had when he closed out the Game 5 of the 2006 World Series as a rookie every he time he takes the bump. From start to start, Wainwright has been as consistent, reliable, and dominant as any pitcher in the league.
Unfortunately, Wainwright will need to have another great season next year in order to put himself in position to try and win the award again.
Maybe sitting out this next start is the first step in the Adam Wainwright for 2011 in NL Cy Young campaign.
Follow Corey Rudd on Twitter @themanspeak
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