St. Louis Cardinals’ Jake Westbrook out of lineup with right oblique injury – MLB News
The St. Louis Cardinals' starter Jake Westbrook’s chances to play in any remaining game in the regular season seems uncertain now after he developed a right oblique injury.
The injury has reportedly rendered the pitcher unable to go ahead with the team for a seven-game road trip.
The trip which is to start on Monday will be among the 23 last games that the Cardinals are to play in the regular season. With playoffs nearing and competition stiffening, the Cardinals have come forward as a serious contender for a Wild Card spot.
However, Westbrook’s injury is worrying for the Cardinals which need a strong rotation at this point in time. With the likes of Chris Carpenter absent, whose return is being expected, the Cardinals would definitely want Westbrook to recover soon.
It was the game against the Milwaukee Brewers wherein Westbrook pitched despite the problems he felt and caused discomfort.
The St. Louis Cardinals' manager Mike Matheny had sensed there was some problem.
"Something didn't look right early on, but he didn't feel anything yet," manager Mike Matheny said. "He was just fighting to really find his [arm] slot. It was one of those starts that you just fight your way through. He was most likely coming out [for a pinch-hitter] anyway. But obviously that made that decision very easy."
The 34-year-old right-handed pitcher may well be out of the season if the problem persists. That prospect is not particularly good for the Cardinals which, like stated above, need a strong pitching line-up in the days to come.
Westbrook may now undergo a series of tests, either on Sunday or Monday, to find out the nature of the problem, and if the severity is intense. Having been out of lineup due to oblique strain twice, if problem turns out to be severe, he will take a long time to recover.
The last time it happened, in 2007 and 2008, Westbrook missed no less than six weeks of action. It will now have to be seen whether Jake Westbrook recovers early, or the issue once again sidelines him for a longer time.
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