Adam Wainwright takes offense to Cardinals fans doubting him after rehab start

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright is ready to prove fans wrong after his latest rehab outing in Double-A.

St. Louis is still deciding if they want Adam Wainwright to start a third rehab game after a groin injury placed him on the IL prior to Opening Day. The Athletic’s Katie Woo attended said outing, and suggested Wainwright’s outing was a success from a Cardinals perspective:

“Adam Wainwright’s second rehab start went like this: 4 1/3 innings pitched, seven hits, three earned runs, one walk, one strikeout, 74 pitches/52 strikes,” The Athletic’s Katie Woo tweeted. “We’ll look at velocity, but most of the damage came on off-speed pitches. Cardinals are still deciding if Wainwright will pitch a third rehab outing.”

Some Cards fans, however, disagreed. While it’s usually smart for athletes to stay off social media, Wainwright had a fire lit under him, and respond to disrespectful St. Louis supporters.

“Looking forward to proving every last one of you underneath this wrong,” Wainwright commented. “Thanks for the motivation. There’s a balance… read the comments and get depressed? Or read the comments and put the war paint on. See you soon.”

Cardinals: When will Adam Wainwright return to St. Louis?

Adam Wainwright’s fire is great to see, especially for a pitcher of his age. This could very well be his last season, and he wants to go out with a bang.

The Cardinals must be careful with Wainwright, as they’ll rely on him more than most 41-year-old pitchers around baseball. Keeping him healthy and atop the rotation is key as they look to rebound from a 10-16 start.

The main question from the Cards perspective will be what their corresponding roster move will be when Wainwright is activated. Some options, per Redbird Rants, could be a DFA of Jordan Hicks or sending Jake Woodford to Memphis.