St. Louis Cardinals: Michael Wacha placed on Injured List

ST. LOUIS, MO - JUNE 3: Michael Wacha #52 of the St. Louis Cardinals sits alone in the dugout against the Pittsburgh Pirates after the sixth inning at Busch Stadium on June 3, 2018 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
ST. LOUIS, MO - JUNE 3: Michael Wacha #52 of the St. Louis Cardinals sits alone in the dugout against the Pittsburgh Pirates after the sixth inning at Busch Stadium on June 3, 2018 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) /
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The St. Louis Cardinals have placed Michael Wacha on the 10-Day Injured List, could this mean trouble for the Cardinals?

In a surprising move before a big series against the division rival Milwaukee Brewers, the St. Louis Cardinals have placed starting pitcher Michael Wacha on the 10-day injured list with a knee injury, and have recalled utility infielder Drew Robinson from Triple-A Memphis.

Wacha was placed on the injured list due to left patellar tendonitis, which is a common injury of the tendon connecting the kneecap to the shinbone. There is no timetable on how long Michael Wacha will be out or how many starts he will miss.

Wacha was off to a decent start this season, sporting an average 4.64 ERA with a 1-0 record, but he has been able to keep a dangerous Brewer lineup in check twice, allowing three runs over 12 innings, and had the lowest ERA on the team.

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Wacha dealt with an oblique injury last season, and it sidelined him for the rest of the season after a hot start. He has dealt with multiple injuries throughout his tenure with St. Louis and is expected to hit free agency this winter. A major injury would be horrible for his free agency stock come this offseason.

According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, the Cardinals are planning to roll with Daniel Ponce de Leon in place of Wacha who has a solid 3.24 ERA to start the season down in Memphis. He was great in St. Louis last season, with a 2.73 ERA and 31 strikeouts over 33 innings. The other options would’ve potentially been letting young righty Ryan Helsley take a go or let John Gant get the start.

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The St. Louis Cardinals already have a vital piece in the rotation on the IL with staff ace Carlos Martinez out with an injury, so Wacha being out could mean trouble for the St. Louis Cardinals pitching staff. This also makes it even more likely that Martinez should come back as a starter with the question marks surrounding the rotation currently.