St. Louis Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright reveals reason for September struggles

Pitcher Adam Wainwright explained the mechanical issue that contributed to his woes near the end of the St. Louis Cardinals’ season.

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright is a consummate professional. While most players would acknowledge it if they weren’t doing well on the field, Wainwright took it a step further and explained to his fans in a Twitter thread why he wasn’t quite right throughout September, citing an injury in late August causing a shorter stride length and disrupted timing.

Wainwright hobbled to a 7.22 ERA through six starts in September and October. He originally mentioned the team’s theory of a mechanical flaw rather than a “dead arm” a couple weeks ago on 101 ESPN, but he reached out to a global audience on Twitter to explain the root of his struggles. The fact that he was open to the fans instead of keeping the issue between him and the team, which would have been completely understandable, speaks volumes about his character and his willingness to interact with the fanbase.

This tweet also seems to hint that Wainwright will be returning to the Cardinals for one more year. It doesn’t seem likely that he would go through the trouble of explaining this if he weren’t serious about righting the ship for one more go-around. One more year in St. Louis would be valuable not just for the contributions of a fully healthy Wainwright, but also through his ability to mentor younger pitchers.

Wainwright is the epitome of a model player whom aspiring players should strive to emulate both character-wise and pitching-wise. A player who has had to adapt and change with the times to get hitters out with diminished velocity as he ages, Wainwright has displayed guile and craft that few can rival. I have no doubt that a healthy and rejuvenated Wainwright will be a threat for one more year. Let’s hope he receives the send-off he deserves.