How losing Wade LeBlanc for the season impacts St. Louis Cardinals

As expected, Wade LeBlanc is out for the season. He might not be a household name, but his absence will be felt by St. Louis Cardinals.

The St. Louis Cardinals could not have asked for much more from Wade LeBlanc. Originally signed to pitch out of the bullpen, he was moved to the rotation out of necessity. The result was LeBlanc posting a 3.61 ERA in 12 appearances (eight starts), significantly better than the numbers he had posted with the Baltimore Orioles earlier in the season.

So when LeBlanc was placed on the injured list, his absence was felt. Combined with the injuries to Jack Flaherty and Kwang Hyun Kim, along with the continued absence of Miles Mikolas (who is now back), the rotation was on the verge of falling apart had it not been for the continued dominance of Adam Wainwright.

Now, the Cardinals have shut LeBlanc down for the rest of the season, manager Mike Shildt told reporters, including Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat. He is expected to undergo a procedure to address the lingering elbow pain, Shildt said, though LeBlanc is going to explore his options and hopes to be ready for spring training.

LeBlanc, 37, is a pending free agent in the offseason and it isn’t out of the question that the Cardinals bring him back. However, as MLB Trade Rumors noted, a 12.2 percent strikeout rate and 8.5 percent walk rate provide pessimism that he would be able to sustain that success next season. But having the veteran left-hander as an option out of the bullpen, with the flexibility to make occasional starts, should be something that the Cardinals are open to, especially since LeBlanc will require a deal close to the veteran’s minimum.

If the Cardinals do not sign LeBlanc, he’s earned the right to pitch somewhere in 2022. In the meantime, however, the Cardinals are going to continue to get by with Wainwright, Mikolas, Jon Lester and J.A. Happ. Jake Woodford has emerged as an option to make starts down the stretch, too, but with the Cardinals trailing the second NL wild card spot by 3.5 games, they will need all hands on deck. And not having LeBlanc out of the rotation or bullpen will surely impact their chances