Why Pujols Injury Must Be Handled With Caution

When Adam Wainwright was lost for the year in spring training due to Tommy John Surgery, many believed the Cardinals would not be able to overcome such a huge blow to their starting rotation. When Ryan Franklin blew four saves in the first month of the season, many believed the Cardinals could not win games with a shaky bullpen. When David Freese broke his hand and was scheduled to miss extended time for the second straight season, many believed the Cardinals would struggle to fill the void at third. When Albert Pujols fractured his forearm in a collision at first base just six days ago and it was announced that he would miss four to six weeks, nearly everyone outside of St. Louis believed the NL Central title would belong to the Brewers or Reds at season’s end.

My point is, the Cards have faced adversity and misfortunes all season long. The team has endured 14 different DL stints already, which is one more than all of the 2010 campaign. The Pujols setback is simply adding insult to injury, but at the end of the day, injuries are part of the game (Not to mention the Cards are still 41-37).

I think the thing that bothered me the most about Pujols’ injury was the ensuing speculation about the impact this could have on his upcoming free agent contract. To say that this injury immediately hurts Albert financially is absurd if you ask me. Look, the guy is and has been the undisputed best player in the world for quite some time now. He’s bounced back from injuries and played through injuries in the past, and if teams around the league need further verification that he is worth the money he is asking for, then they don’t deserve him. It’s that simple.

With that said, however, I do think that this injury could potentially have an effect on his value and the Cardinals’ chances to make the postseason if handled the wrong way. As of right now, I’m still confident in this team. That’s not to say I’m not slightly concerned, but I’m certainly not ready to write the Cards off like much of the media has already done.

Before getting into how exactly this situation should be handled, let’s get a sense of how Albert himself feels.

"To tell you the truth, I feel like I can play. I’ll just be positive and be in the lineup before you know it.I had a good feeling that I was going to be just a little bruised, but obviously it wasn’t. There was still a little pain that night but I feel good, no pain at all right now. I mean, what can you do? It’s one of those crazy things that happens in the game. I’ve healed pretty well from injuries in the past and I’m planning to hopefully have one of those in my bag still. Obviously, there’s no treatment I can do, I guess. I’ll just keep my legs in shape and work out and do what I’m capable of doing without making it worse. This is not about me, this is about my team."

Clearly, the competitor in Pujols is coming out when he says he feels like he can play. Everyone knows he wants to be out there on the field to contribute to his team, but I doubt he will return before the four to six week timetable. Believe me, that’s a good thing.

I’m sure the St. Louis management will feel extreme pressure to rush their superstar back, especially given the facts that Pujols feels healthy and the Brewers are as hot as any team in baseball. However, it is vital that the Cards proceed with caution in that regard. This is a sitution in which John Mozeliak and Tony La Russa must trust the team doctors so that Pujols can trust that the franchise is looking out for his best interest. If Pujols returns prematurely, things could go from bad to worse in a hurry. This injury is no minor issue, and patience will surely be a virtue in this wait-and-see situation.

As far as the team is concerned, TLR will have a tough challenge ahead of him. He will have to do some mixing and matching, and he will need guys like Jon Jay, Lance Berkman, and Mark Hamilton to step up and do their best “3-time MVP” impressions (Easier said than done). If the Cardinals can remain within 4 or so games out of first place by the time the All-Star break rolls around, they will be in good shape for the stretch run.