The St. Louis Cardinals will open up the regular season without one of their core rotation pieces.
The team announced on Monday that it has placed veteran starter Carlos Martinez on the injured list with a rotator cuff injury.
On the surface, placing him on the 10-day injured list isn’t necessarily notable. That’s until we realize that Martinez’ injury is to the rotator cuff. It’s potentially a serious injury that could lead to further issues down the road — Tommy John Surgery included.
Martinez, 27, pitched to an 8-6 record with a 3.11 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in 33 games (18 starts) last season. The two-time All-Star also missed time to a shoulder injury — leading to more questions about his long-term health.