St. Louis Cardinals: Yadier Molina NOT in Tuesday’s lineup

The St. Louis Cardinals are sitting their star catcher as he is under concussion protocols following a frightening night on Monday.

The St. Louis Cardinals experienced two frightening moments in Monday night’s massacre by the Chicago Cubs. The first moment came in the top of the seventh inning when franchise catcher Yadier Molina took two foul balls off his catcher’s mask causing him to vomit into the said mask. The second moment came after the final out of the game as the Cards were eliminated from the NL-Central race.

Anytime that Yadier is absent from the St. Louis Cardinals lineup is a scary thought but a damaged Yadi is even scarier. In fact, the image of Yadi falling to his knees and unable to walk off the field without help, was terrifying and is one that should NEVER be repeated.

Concussions are very terrifying things and as more research is being completed we are learning more and more about their long-lasting damage. Just take a quick look to the NFL and to the horrific cases of damaged brains that lead to negative behaviors, loss of memory, and very likely death.

Does Yadier have a concussion? All signs seem to point to yes. Has he had minor concussions in the past? All signs seem to point to yes.

Mike Matheny, a strong-nosed catcher in his day (that might be the only nice thing I have to say about the man today– just see my earlier rant piece), knows a thing or two about concussions and yet acted slowly in the removal of Yadier. Slowly is used here only because Matheny allowed Yadi to remain in the game after the first foul ball.

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Let’s be honest that Yadier- as Bernie Miklasz notes- is likely the last person a manager wants to go up against in terms of sitting him as Yadi has been known to argue until he is blue in the face (or until he vomits in his catcher’s mask like he did last night) to stay in a lineup. That said, Matheny should have pulled him the moment he was hit the first time and showed weaknesses.

Now the St. Louis Cardinals are forced to be without Molina in Tuesday night’s game and SHOULD- in all honesty- sit the veteran for the remainder of the season.

I don’t want a damaged Molina beyond 2017 and surely the St. Louis Cardinals do not want that either so in spite of anything that Molina might argue or that the moron Matheny might think, I beg that the Cardinals shut Yadier down for the remainder of the season.

Next: Have we learned anything from 2017?

Six games. Six games remain as the St. Louis Cardinals will limp out of the 2017 season. Please, Cardinals, please allow this to be without Molina. And please, Molina, rest and heal so that you can return with a fire in Spring Training of 2018 (with hopefully a different manager and stronger players).