Adam Wainwright could miss next start with elbow tendinitis

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Adam Wainwright knows how much he scared you.

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He knows the doom and gloom that lingers when a starting pitcher goes in for an MRI on his pitching elbow in the year 2014. He knows how nervous everybody was that another ace pitcher would be lost to Tommy John surgery.

Wainwright knows that. So while he might miss one start with tendinitis in his pitching elbow, he wants you to know there’s nothing to worry about. Honest. As quoted on ESPN.com:

"“I’m OK, I really am. I know that in this business when the word elbow gets thrown around people think the worst, but in actuality and in all honest to goodness truth, the only reason we did an MRI at all was to see how to treat it better, to see exactly which spot was dinged up.”"

While Wainwright might not always get the billing that he deserves, but he belongs in the conversation for the best pitchers in all of baseball. He meets and surpasses all of the criteria.

His numbers are ridiculously good. Through 14 starts this season he is 9-3 with a 2.15 ERA and a 8.2 K/9 mark. His pitches are aesthetically pleasing, the kind that MLB GIF-makers dream about. That goes especially for his wicked curve ball.

wainwright-backdoor-curveball
wainwright-backdoor-curveball /

Finally, he is remarkably consistent: he has won double-digit games with a sub-4.00 ERA every single season since 2007.

If Wainwright is correct that his injury is no big deal and will only cause him to miss a start, it is good news for the Cardinals and for every fan that appreciates good pitching.