By Chris Brown – STL Baseball Today
Despite throwing what was initially considered a successful bullpen session on Saturday, oft-injured lefty Jaime Garcia has hit the disabled list once again due to a nagging groin strain which has bothered him since his last start on June 24.
Although Garcia twice declined to comment to reporters about the session afterwards on Saturday, manager Mike Matheny said that “everything is pointing in the direction that he’ll be OK,” and that as long as Garcia responded well to that side session, he would be ready to start one of the games of the team’s day-night doubleheader at Wrigley Field on Tuesday.
Garcia, however, did not respond well to the throwing session, as he reported some discomfort upon his arrival to Busch Stadium on Sunday.
“Yeah, it actually took a turn on us,” Matheny told reporters, including Brian Stull of STL Baseball Weekly, during his pregame media session. “He threw his bullpen and it didn’t respond well. We had it looked at and they saw a strain.”
Matheny said that left-handers Tyler Lyons and Tim Cooney will start the two games of the team’s doubleheader on Tuesday. Cooney was recalled from Single-A Peoria, where he had been in preparation to start on Tuesday, to take Garcia’s spot on the roster, and Lyons will be recalled as the team’s 26th player for the doubleheader on Tuesday, meaning no player will have to be sent down to accommodate him.
Cooney, 24, has allowed five earned runs while striking out six over 8 1/3 innings in two starts for the Cardinals, while the 24-year-old Lyons has posted a 5.09 ERA across 23 innings in five big-league starts while striking out 28.
Matheny said the team is “hopeful” that Garcia will be ready to pitch again after the All-Star break in just a week or so. Since Cooney started in Garcia’s place on Thursday, in order to recall him, the club could only backdate Garcia’s DL stint to July 4. This means Garcia could return July 19 at the earliest.
Garcia just told Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Thursday that it was his goal “to make every single start for the rest of the year.”
The 28-year-old has been dominant in seven starts since returning from a shoulder injury, posting a 1.69 ERA and 0.88 WHIP over 48 innings.
Featured image used under Creative Commons from Barbara Moore. No changes made. Image License.
