By Chris Brown – STL Baseball Today

Acquired this past offseason from the Braves along with Jason Heyward to deepen the bullpen and provide insurance behind Trevor Rosenthal, Jordan Walden will end the 2015 season with just over 10 innings pitched for the Cardinals.

General manager John Mozeliak told reporters prior to the team’s Sunday night series finale against the Pirates that Walden will be out for the remainder of the season due to a shoulder/biceps issue that’s bothered him for months.

The 27-year-old right hander, known for his quirky delivery, is dealing with rotator cuff damage and now faces a decision of whether or not to undergo surgery.

“If his decision is to not have surgery, then he’s going to have to have a very rigorous offseason with therapy, and it’s going to be a tough go,” Mozeliak said. “If he succeeds with that, then I think next year he has a possibility. Right now, it’s not looking great.”

The GM went on to explain that the type of surgery Walden would require would “likely be a rotator repair,” similar to the situation that former Cardinals pitcher Mark Mulder experienced. A shoulder injury limited Mulder to 17 games in 2006, but the two-time All-Star only pitched in six more Major League games after undergoing surgery.

Acquired in the aforementioned trade with Atlanta last November, Walden quickly signed a two-year, $6.6 million contract with the Cardinals, a deal that was widely viewed to be a good one for St. Louis at the time.

In 12 April appearances, Walden posted a promising 0.87 ERA, 1.065 WHIP, and 12/4 K/BB ratio before hitting the DL with biceps inflammation.

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