The St. Louis Cardinals received updates on two of their pitchers, including Jack Flaherty, on Friday and it wasn’t great.
The Cardinals were awaiting the status Jack Flaherty and Alex Reyes on Friday and while they didn’t get the greatest news in return, the team does have a plan for the two moving forward.
Staff ace Flaherty has a small tear and inflammation in his shoulder that will cause him to miss opening day.
According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Flaherty traveled to Los Angeles on Friday where he received a second opinion on his shoulder as well as receive a plasma-rich platelet injection. Goold spoke with John Mozeliak, president of baseball operations for the Cardinals, regarding Flaherty’s status.
Mozeliak told Goold the righthander has a “small” SLAP tear where the shoulder meets the biceps.
The injection Friday means Flaherty will go two weeks without throwing, and he will start the season on the injured list.Flaherty has pitched the past four seasons with a SLAP tear and it has not changed in size, a source confirmed to the Post-Dispatch. The treatment he had should help reduce the inflammation in the joint that is causing discomfort.
Cardinals get tough updates on Jack Flaherty, Alex Reyes
Flaherty will start the season on the injured list as he must go two weeks without any throwing activity. Flaherty received the injection from Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the Dodgers’ head physician and a doctor teams turn to for shoulder issues. Flaherty was visiting the physician for a second opinion on his shoulder.
The team will have a better idea how Flaherty should proceed once they see how he responds to the injection.
Mozeliak mentioned Jake Woodford and Matthew Liberatore as possible options to replace Flaherty’s spot in the rotation.
Regarding Alex Reyes, the team announced he has a torn labrum.
Goold reported that Reyes should be out until May or early June. Reyes received a stem-cell injection in the area around the torn labrum and must wait two weeks before resuming pitching activities.
Reyes place on the roster was to be determined this spring. The club will proceed with other options while they wait for his return to baseball activities after two weeks.