|
 General manager John Mozeliak criticized Garcia for picking surgery
over rehab and informing the media before the team.
This spring, Garcia became the first starting pitcher in camp to
reach the 80-pitch mark, albeit in a simulated game March 24. He
recorded 20 outs, allowing four hits and a walk in doing so. That's
an outing which would play in any league.
However, the Cardinals scratched Garcia from his scheduled start
March 29 after he sustained a setback, and the lefty is not expected
to be ready for the start of the season.
General manager John Mozeliak said Garcia was feeling fatigue in his
left arm.
"He just hasn't bounced back after his last start in a positive
way," Mozeliak said. "He felt it was difficult to keep at this pace,
so we decided to slow things down. He was fast-tracking already, and
I think everybody was surprised how fast it was going. So it makes
sense at this point to slow things down."
Garcia had been considered the top option for the fifth spot in the
rotation, but that role probably will go to Carlos Martinez for now.
Martinez was pitching well this spring, so young left-hander Marco
Gonzales might end up in Triple-A Memphis, starting every fifth day
instead of working in an irregular role out of the bullpen. And with
three off days built in the season's first nine days, the team might
not need a fifth starter until April 19.
-----------------------------------------------
MLB Team Report - St. Louis Cardinals - NOTES, QUOTES
--OF Tommy Pham (left quad strain) didn't play from March 13-26,
basically ending his chances of going north with the club after
spring training. Pham's injury history has stalled his progress
during nine minor league seasons as he's battled eye, wrist and
shoulder injuries. Prior to this latest ailment, Pham was batting
.412 in 17 at-bats with five RBIs, but he appears headed for
Triple-A Memphis or the disabled list.
--1B/3B Mark Reynolds started in left field on March 23 against
Boston as manager Mike Matheny continues to look for ways to get his
power bat into the lineup. Reynolds has played 15 career innings in
the outfield, all in right field, but he's also blasted 20 homers or
more in seven straight years. St. Louis, which was last in the NL in
homers last year, is willing to trade some of Reynolds' strikeouts
for his long balls, even if it means shoehorning him into the lineup
in the outfield.
--3B Matt Carpenter (right quad contusion) left the March 25 game
with Washington after two innings. Carpenter was plunked by Max
Scherzer in the first inning and was removed as a precautionary
measure. Carpenter was back in the lineup March 26 for a game with
Miami. He batted .348 in his first 23 at-bats of the spring.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "When you start looking even at today's lineup and
seeing (Jon) Jay and Kolten (Wong) down at the bottom, that's not a
whole lot of time for an opposing team to breathe." -- Cardinals
manager Mike Matheny on his lineup March 25, which looked a lot like
an Opening Day lineup. Jay, the team's center fielder, hit seventh
and second baseman Wong batted eighth.
-----------------------------------------------
MLB Team Report - St. Louis Cardinals - ROSTER REPORT
PROJECTED ROTATION:
RHP Adam Wainwright
RHP Lance Lynn
RHP John Lackey
RHP Michael Wacha
LHP Marco Gonzales or RHP Carlos Martinez
Wainwright is coming off the second 20-win season of his career
despite battling occasional arm problems that left him unable to
open jars or doors at times. Lynn enjoyed a breakout season last
year, posting an ERA of less than 3.00 for the first time and
learning how to use his intensity in a way which didn't backfire on
him.
Lackey is a perfect No. 3 starter at this stage of his career, an
innings-eater who figures to be good for about 15 wins. A healthy
Wacha gives this team a No. 2 type starter in the No. 4 spot. The
loser of the Gonzales-Martinez duel at No. 5 opens the season in the
bullpen. LHP Jaime Garcia could still figure into this mix if he can
ever get and stay healthy.
[to top of second column] |
PROJECTED BULLPEN:
RHP Trevor Rosenthal (closer)
RHP Jordan Walden
RHP Matt Belisle
LHP Kevin Siegrist
RHP Seth Maness
LHP Randy Choate
RHP Carlos Villanueva
Rosenthal notched 45 saves in his first year as closer, but lost
command of the strike zone far too often. After issuing only 20
walks in 75 1/3 innings in 2013, Rosenthal passed 42 hitters in 70
1/3 innings last year and was pulled from some save chances in the
ninth inning due to his wildness. He simply has to throw more
strikes than he did last year to maintain his effectiveness as a
closer.
Walden figures to fit into the eighth-inning role filled so well
last year by Pat Neshek, who left via free agency for Houston.
Belisle proved to be an innings eater with the Rockies the past four
years. Maness is durable and can throw double-play grounders like
nobody's business. If Siegrist can regain the dominant form he
showed in 2013, he could become another eighth-inning option.
PROJECTED LINEUP:
1. 3B Matt Carpenter
2. RF Jason Heyward
3. LF Matt Holliday
4. 1B Matt Adams
5. C Yadier Molina
6. SS Jhonny Peralta
7. 2B Kolten Wong
8. CF Jon Jay
Manager Mike Matheny has options at the top of his lineup. He will
likely stick with Carpenter, who's reached base a whopping 545 times
the last two years, or possibly use Heyward, who has a good eye and
can steal a base.
Holliday struggled until the calendar flipped to July, then kicked
into gear and was at his best in late August and September. Adams
beat defensive shifts consistently but left some wishing he had hit
more homers. Wong displayed 20-homer pop late in the season and the
playoffs. The Cardinals averaged just 3.8 runs per game last year
while hitting fewer homers than anyone in the NL. That can't happen
again if they're to make noise in 2015.
St. Louis was much-improved defensively last year and might get
better with the addition of Heyward, who has Gold Glove ability in
right field. Molina remains the gold standard defensively at his
position.
MEDICAL WATCH:
--RHP Adam Wainwright (mild abdominal strain) was hurt in late
February. He began throwing live batting practice March 9. He threw
a 50-pitch simulated game March 16, and made his Grapefruit League
appearances March 21 and March 26. He should be ready to start
Opening Night at Wrigley Field, April 5.
--LHP Jaime Garcia (left shoulder surgery in July 2014) underwent
the operation to relieve thoracic outlet syndrome, which caused
nerve issues in his arm, shoulder and hand. He was scratched from
his start March 29 after experiencing a setback, and he is not
expected to be ready for the start of the season.
--OF Tommy Pham (left quad strain) didn't play from March 13-26,
basically ending his chances of going north with the club after
spring training. He is headed for Triple-A Memphis or the disabled
list.
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