The St. Louis Cardinals have been lacking a crucial component for the most of the 2023 season.
Due to a groin problem that developed during the World Baseball Classic, veteran right-hander Adam Wainwright spent the first few months of the season on the disabled list.
The Cardinals don’t have to wait for him to come back though anymore.
The two-time World Series winner will face the Detroit Tigers in his first start of the regular season today in an effort to help St. Louis end its seven-game losing streak.
The Cardinals tweeted a video to hype up the three-time All-Star’s return and get fans pumped.
Controlling the mound since 2005.
Welcome back, Waino!#STLCards x @NationalPro pic.twitter.com/5i923DsQ9J
St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) May 6, 2023
After another prosperous season in 2022, Wainwright renewed his contract with St. Louis.
He had an ERA of 3.71 and won 11 games the previous season.
After experiencing rare September troubles that kept him out of the postseason rotation, he was inspired to come back.
His last year in the Major League Baseball will be 2023.
Late in the 2005 campaign, Wainwright made his MLB debut. A year later, the Cardinals’ bullpen began to take notice of him, and Wainwright even assumed the role of closer when Jason Isringhausen had a hip injury.
All he did was finish off the NLCS and World Series, as well as the three postseason series the Cardinals won.
He started the following season.
Since that time, Wainwright has established himself as one of St. Louis’ most reliable starts, consistently stepping up when it counts.
For the Cardinals to get out of their early-season slump, Wainwright will need to provide that.