Michael Wacha is supposed to start next Monday in the makeup game against the Reds. Although his defense let him down last night – Michael Wacha has been on a downward spiral over the last month. It’s time to make a change with Michael Wacha in the Cardinals rotation. Over his last 6 games 42.5% of hitters have reached base against him. Wacha is only lasting 4.2 innings per start in the same span. The bullpen can’t be left with 4-5 innings every time Wacha takes the mound. It’s not like Wacha is giving the Cardinals a solid 4 innings either. His ERA has gone from 2.74 to 4.76 over his last 6 starts. The Cardinals have a current roster option to replace him (Tyler Lyons) and a slew of guys in Memphis (Marco Gonzales, Luke Weaver, John Gant, Jack Flaherty, etc.). Another disturbing Wacha stat is his batting average against him the first time through the lineup against the second time through the order. The first time batters see Wacha in a game they’re batting .178 against him. The second time batters see Wacha in a game they’re batting .356 against him. Hitters are hitting TWICE as a high against Wacha the second time they see him. If the Cardinals move him to the bullpen hitters will only see him one time. Wacha’s issues with his shoulder is something he can’t help. The Cardinals putting him in a role that’s best for Wacha and the team is something that can be changed going forward. A different option in the Cardinals rotation (think of it as an early audition for 2018 for a pitcher), along with Wacha being a potential threat in the bullpen, is something that can only help the Cardinals.
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