St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright will likely miss “several weeks” after suffering a groin strain during the World Baseball Classic, manager Oliver Marmol told reporters on Thursday.
The 41-year-old Wainwright, who was scheduled to be the Cardinals’ starter on Opening Day as he enters his 18th season with St. Louis, will begin the season on the injured list, Marmol said.
The injury happened during a weight room workout Tuesday with Team USA during the World Baseball Classic.
Wainwright has thrown 15 innings thus far this spring — seven in Grapefruit League action and another eight during the WBC. He last pitched Sunday in Team USA’s semifinal victory against Cuba, allowing just one run in four innings while earning his second win in two starts in the tournament.
He decided to return for another season with the Cardinals after going 11-12 with a 3.71 ERA in 32 starts in 2022. It was his first losing season in which he made at least 20 starts.
Wainwright, who has said that he would retire after the 2023 season, needs five wins to reach 200 for his career. He is 15 behind Jesse Haines for the second-most wins in franchise history; Bob Gibson is the leader with 251.
Jake Woodford is the leading candidate to take over Wainwright’s place in the starting rotation.
Right-handed reliever Wilking Rodriguez, who joined the Cardinals as a Rule 5 pick from the New York Yankees, has a sore shoulder and will also begin the season on the injured list, Marmol said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
