What should the St. Louis Cardinals do with Miles Mikolas?

What should the St. Louis Cardinals do with Miles Mikolas, and should it involve moving the former 18-game winner to the bullpen?

When Miles Mikolas pitched on Saturday night, it marked the first time that he took the mound for the St. Louis Cardinals since October 2019. The outing, however, lasted only four innings, as he left with right forearm tightness.

The injury was especially concerning since he previously dealt with a similar injury. But it’s the latest ailment in what has been a frustrating few seasons for Mikolas and yet, he indicated via text that he is optimistic the injury is not serious, telling Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: “I am fairly sure based on the current MRI that it is not a major issue. But it is important to be cautious going forward. We are currently gathering more information in order to make the best decision.”

Mikolas was heading to see noted surgeon Dr. James Andrews on Wednesday for a second opinion to confirm the initial diagnosis. But if Mikolas returns, and there are still no indications of when that will be, his role with the Cardinals might have to look a lot different to allow him to make it through the season unscathed.

Perhaps the Cardinals place Mikolas in the bullpen, where he can pitch one or two innings at a time. That would increase the need for a starting pitcher at the trade deadline, of course, but it might be necessary if they want to have Mikolas contributing in 2021 and beyond.

That’s just speculation, but it would make sense for the Cardinals to consider. And there should be no shortage of options. Max Scherzer is the top potential trade candidate and grew up in the St. Louis area. Jon Gray is a likely candidate to be traded and should attract serious interest from teams in need of starting pitching.

There will be others, but either two would further establish the Cardinals as one of the premiere teams in the National League. And if it means moving Mikolas to the bullpen, and having him available for the remainder of the regular season and most likely the postseason, it should be a move the Cardinals strongly consider.

Mikolas just needs to stay healthy first.