Adam Wainwright Hopeful for 2015 Return

Let’s face it Cardinal fans, we could use some good news right about now. And ace Adam Wainwright has come through yet again, offering us a glimmer of hope that we may see Uncle Charlie back on the mound before season’s end. In an interview with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Wainwright noted that things are “progressing nicely.” He is, of course, referring to his rehab from an Achilles injury that occurred on April 30 when running out of the batter’s box (we all know how serious Adam takes his batting, noting that pitchers need to be “more hitterish”). The original recovery time was slated to be nine months to a year and the Cardinals were hopeful to have Wainwright back by spring training, 2016. However, Wainwright is hoping to make an appearance sooner. He has cast aside the crutches and is donning a walking boot. Upper body strengthening has begun and, barring a complete and total collapse by the Cardinals, Wainwright hopes to help them in the September pennant race and beyond. The Cardinals are currently atop MLB with a record of 43-22, despite losing their ace as well as Matt Holliday, Matt Adams and Lance Lynn (who is reportedly on track to rejoin the team’s rotation by June 25 or 26).

Said Wainwright of their success “[t]he selfish part of me goes, ‘No way they could win this many games without me, right?’ What you realize is that this organization keeps on ticking, no matter what and no matter who they lose.” Wainwright went on to tell the Post “If they can win without Albert [Pujols], they can win without me.”

This may be true, but in this writer’s humble opinion, a good portion of the Card’s success post-Pujols has been, in part, because of the success of Adam Wainwright, a three-time All Star, two-time Gold Glove winner and two-time NL wins leader. His presence is a driving force behind the team’s success and the only person who will be happier than Cardinals fans to see him back on the mound come October, is Adam Wainwright.