With the 2014 season over for St. Louis, players can now focus on healing up, and get well-rested for next season.
Cardinals star center-fielder Jon Jay is heading for surgery, which is scheduled for later this week. The plan is to have him back in plenty of time for 2015 Spring Training. The surgery for Jay is for his left wrist, which has caused lingering issues since July.
Jay was one of the more underrated players in baseball this season, being the only player on the Cardinals who hit over .300 during the regular season. He finished with a .303 average, three home runs, and 46 RBI’s. Other stats include a .372 OBP, 20 hit-by-pitches, and 125 total hits. Even with the speedy Peter Bourjos playing in center during many games throughout the course of the season, Jay was touted as the better fielder overall.
The NL Central Division champion Cardinals had their fair share of injuries to many of their players throughout the course of the season, and with their season now finished, this is the chance for them to get healed up, and prepared for next season. Pitcher Michael Wacha had an MRI this past Friday to check on the condition of his rehabbing stress fracture, which, according to general manager John Mozeliak, showed nothing beyond its continued healing.
For ace Adam Wainwright, his right elbow is not irritated to the point where a medical procedure would have to take place. Rest is a prescribed method, and it is expected that he will have a normal off-season recovery. Wainwright finished the 2014 season with a 20-9 record, with a 2.38 ERA, 179 strikeouts, and a 1.03 WHIP average, arguably being one of the top pitchers in baseball during the season.
Then there is the case of Yadier Molina. The 32-year old all-star catcher had his most injury-plagued season in his career, after tearing ligaments in his right thumb on July 9th. He was originally scheduled to miss 8-12 weeks, but came back after seven weeks on the DL.
During Game 2 of the NLCS, Molina once again suffered an injury, straining his left oblique muscle, which caused him to miss the remainder of the series. The injury also ended his MLB-record streak of 83 straight postseason starts, which dated back to the 2004 World Series.
As with Wainwright, Molina is expected to make a full recovery from the injury, and off-season rest will be the key to the recovery process.
St. Louis finished with a record of 90-72, won the division, and for the fourth straight year, appeared in the NLCS, where they were defeated by the San Francisco Giants, continuing the tradition of the two NL rivals trading off pennant wins.
While it was a disappointing end to the season, given the injuries that have mounted on the roster, their elimination gives them more time to recover from the 2014 season, as they look to have an even more healthy and successful 2015 season.
(Photo credit: Jeff Robinson/AP)
