Pitcher Adam Wainwright’s departure from St. Louis Cardinals’ camp leaves rotation slot open
The St. Louis Cardinals’ pitcher, Adam Wainwright is completely out of the picture for the 2011 Major League Baseball, as he scheduled to undergo a Tommy John surgery on his elbow injury. The player will be unavailable for close to 12 months. The team is
in trouble, as it is logically understandable that replacing a pitcher who delivers 20 wins to the club is very hard. Wainwright’s absence leaves the Cardinals to search for the best option to fill the fifth slot in the pitching formation.
The Cardinals will need to make the right moves this season and focus on bringing in another pitcher who can take on the role and provide a positive contribution. Manager Tony La Russa however has come out to state that the team will select a player from
within the organization.
"It's much more unfortunate for Adam," La Russa said, "It's really tough on us, so you can't not be affected, but it's much tougher on him. But we were five starters deep, quality starters deep, and now we have an opportunity for somebody to jump in there."
The leading candidate happens to be the versatile pitcher, Kyle McClellan. The right hand pitcher has been active in the bullpen and now he may have to move to the rotation for the replacement role. McClellan has been working hard and he may now get his
chance to prove his worth if he is selected in the pitching rotation for the Cardinals.
"I believe I can do it, so I would hope that it would come internally," McClellan said. "I think if you look at everything the way it is, the void that I would leave, the other guys are more than capable of handling that."
The pen will have a vacant spot and that can create a lot of problems for the club but there are no real veterans that are ready to take the mound. La Russa and General Manager John Mozeliak are discussing various options, as they try hard to fill the gap
left by the injured Wainwright.
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