The Cardinals have placed right-hander Carlos Martínez on the 10-day injured list with a right thumb injury. Outfielder Lars Nootbaar has been recalled from Triple-A Memphis to take his spot on the active roster.
It seems Martínez could be looking at a rather significant absence, as manager Mike Shildt told reporters (including Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch) that imaging revealed a ligament tear in his thumb. While Martínez had been with the team in San Francisco, he’s now being sent back to St. Louis for further evaluation.
This continues what has been a disappointing season for Martínez. While he’d previously stayed healthy enough to make 16 starts and tally 82 1/3 innings, he’s simply not been particularly effective. Martínez has only managed a 6.23 ERA/5.14 SIERA, striking out just 15.7% of opponents while walking 9.9%. It’s the second straight poor year from Martínez, who had previously looked like a rotation cornerstone after posting high-end numbers from 2015-18 and performing well out of the bullpen in 2019.
Martínez becomes the latest Cardinals starter to go down with injury. St. Louis is already without Jack Flaherty and Miles Mikolas, and they entered the season knowing they’d go the entire year without Dakota Hudson. The Cards front office had already been known to be prioritizing starting pitching, and Martínez’s injury only adds to that urgency.
At 43-44, the Cardinals sit eight games back of the Brewers in the National League Central. They’re almost equally far back of the Padres in the Wild Card race, with the 45-41 Reds also ahead of them in the pecking order. Given that outlook, it’s arguable the Cardinals should instead turn their attention to 2022 and consider moving some players off the big league roster for young talent rather than adding.
Nevertheless, it seems the current plan for St. Louis is still to try to make a run in 2021. Robert Murray of FanSided wrote this morning — even before news of Martínez’s IL stint — that the Cardinals were expected to look to add a starting pitcher or two and perhaps another position player before the July 30 trade deadline. Given the Cardinals’ place in the standings, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has spoken about not wanting to mortgage the farm system to win at all costs this year. That could suggest St. Louis will be more in the mix for veteran stabilizers to plug into the back of the rotation rather than targeting a controllable, mid-rotation type.
JCornStar
Addition by subtraction?
Fever Pitch Guy
Thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery.
Nothing
Lars Nootbar sounds like a German candy bar lmao
JCornStar
Hilarious!
timyanks
that nootbaar that o’niell ate last night made him sick
robster
Hopefully, Wainwright holds up as he’d be the last and final opening day starter to get hurt. In 50 years, I don’t remember that happening to any pitching staff.
Meanwhile, on Mozeliak‘s world cruise …..
Fly over fan
’85 Cubs had 4/5 of starting rotation on IL at one time
tstats
NOOTBAAR
JerryBird
I guess this ruins Martinez chance at losing 20 games. Bummer.
I hope they buyout his contract at the end of the year. This was another bad judgement extension by STL.
dd3
I think he gets paid $1M if traded this season. Only a $500K buyout at end of the year.
dd3
He’s definitely getting bought out. It would be professional malpractice to pay this dude $17M next season.
paulk-2
See Matt Carpenter.
bucincharlotte
Adds are loaded with bad contracts.
Joel Peterson
It wasn’t a bad extension. The deal had major potential to work out it just didn’t. And the big money was tied to those 2 option years which are not going to be exercised so he really didn’t cost that much.
JerryBird
@Joel Peterson. I am a fan who proudly lives by 20-20 hindsight. Martinez’ deal was actually pretty decent for both sides at the time of the signing. As noted, it just didn’t work out for STL. So for now, it is very easy for me to whine and cry and call it a bad extension. Just call me Captain Obvious. STL just doesn’t seem to make the right calls in recent years. Even the Goldschmidt deal doesn’t look real good. STL is rewarding him for playing well in Arizona. He is becoming an aging shadow of himself for the Cardinals. All three of his Cardinals seasons are the weakest of his career, kind of reminds me of Albert Pujols and the Angels. The jury is still out on Arenado. He is doing a good job, but if he opts out, then I’ll consider it a wasted effort, besides, I think Colorado picked up the tab for 2021 anyway. Carpenter, Andrew Miller, Brett Cecil, etc., yes, money has been thrown away. Enough crying from me for now, I need to get some shuteye. Thank you guys again for letting me vent.
Joel Peterson
Yeah man I know you are a good fan I recognize you from Viva El birdos.
Agree with most of what you said. Team is chasing ghosts instead of developing talent and using it. And the complacency is ridiculous. If you go out and get Arenado why stop there? Baseball is lame in general but the Cardinals are particularly lame.
mc1200s
Dunno, hitting is down this season. In June, average mlb batting average jumped 7 points to .239. Rona season everything was off and Goldy produced 97 runs, 34 ding dongs and 97 rbis first year w us. He seems to be mirroring 2019 and is one of the top first basemen in the league. He was a steal as long as he maintains which should be a lock. He’s always been a late season bloomer and heats up in the summer. google.com/amp/s/venomstrikes.com/2018/06/06/arizo…
He’s way better than Pujols. Dude is stealing bases, diving for catches and is a gold glove daily first baseman. Pujols declined when he left. Season after season. Plus Pujols is 48 years old. JK. Goldy is heating up. He’s smoking Anthony Rizzo. Just saying, 2021 is a down year unless you’re the son of our old 2nd baseman or Vlad. Trout is out. Goldy is a deal. He’s not the issue. If Arenado opts out here’s my thoughts. 1) Birds don’t lock up Flaherty. Arbitration year and even though he’s done for the year, you pay up and don’t let him go. I think a lot of Cardinals are going to be watching how we treat their future ace. 2) He just doesn’t like it here; but he is getting paid. He’s got Goldy to slug with and a bunch of youngsters. Not sure he’s getting paid more anywhere else. Probably not a gold glove and hasn’t been as hot as Goldy the past month. The birds need an ace. I love our young outfielders, especially Tyler O’Neill, my favorite, but we’ve got a extra and Edman plays a fine outfield. Offense can’t get any worse, I hope but the pitching can. Reyes needs to be in the rotation and we need to trade for a stud pitcher. Otherwise we see screwed.
Msvhs79
Trying to be nice but damn, just about the time you think you might actually get a little something in trade for Martinez he gets this injury!
paulk-2
What were you expecting in return? A 12 pack of Sprite?
Buster79
First things first, obey your thirst! Sprite aiight!
mack423
A bit surprised they recalled Nootbaar and not another pitcher, considering the bullpen has been pretty short the last few series.
qbert1996
only 3 games til allstar break and with the off day today Carlos spot wont come up in the rotation
Joel Peterson
You really can’t bring Goldschmidt and Arenado in and then sell. The team is committed to trying to win for at least a couple years.
Proud Cardinals Fan
Great! Lars Nootbar is back. We need an outfielder who can barely hit
100. Carlos Martinez has been a disaster. We need new hitting coach,2 more reliable starters and a solid bat off the bench. Bader can hit homers,but cant hit for average. Knizer is a great guy but not a major league hitter. Newd big trade or signing or this season is over
Joel Peterson
When you look at where the money has gone in this organization the last few years it’s just ridiculous. Guys getting paid huge amounts of money to either be hurt or not be that good.
Look at these options. Martinez is gonna get declined in a second. Carpenters is a sure thing decline of the option. At least with Martinez he COULD have been worth that. Carpenter at 18 million looks insane today. It’s sad. Just tossing money around.
TikTok Influencer
Where are the Cubs articles? Specifically Jake Arrieta on the DL? Are the Cubs no longer relevant just because they lost a game or two?
Cardsfanatik redux
Wait…..the cubs are relevant?
Joel Peterson
Dude been visiting this site over a decade. Never once before have i ever heard another poster say “where are the Cubs rumors”.
Anyone rember Brian Robert’s? The guys who run this site sure do…….
paulk-2
Martinez by the numbers
7 quality starts
3-2 record
1.94 ERA
251-354 combined record of opponents in those 7 starts
all 7 teams are below .500
8 non quality starts
1-7 record
12.70 ERA
344-344 combines record of opponents in those 8 starts
4 of those teams are below .500 (all losses)
swinging wood
Martinez is hurt? In other news, water is wet.
AZPat
Martinez isn’t hurt. It’s the AS break. They don’t need him for the next 10 days, so they created an injury. Every team should be doing the same thing with their last starting pitcher. Or the worse one.
headhawks
Care to revisit this comment??? Martinez is hurt on 60 day il…. Please know to what you speak and type before just throwing it out there.
headhawks
Would the reason for not brining up a pitcher at this point is the all star game/break. Cobble it together with Leblanc waino kk this weekend. Then make your mind up of either going for it or playing .500 ball rest of way out during all star break. Milwaukee pitching is better (not by much but still is) even when mikolas and Flaherty comes back. They have a 10 games in 10 days after Allstar break where they will have to do something. Liberatore isn’t ready (see oveido now) let him finish up minor league season and call him up when rosters can expand.
Stl seems to have more glaring holes in their offense anyway. 3 guys are hitting now and that’s it I included yadi because he’s a stud but he’s still a .260 type hitter that’s on his last leg….
Perhaps it is time to cut carpenter, Miller, Martinez others. I hope Gorman experiment at 2nd is going well. I know he tore cover off ball in AA it’s early in AAA…. I think there’s hope in Carlson and Gorman with goldy and Nolan. That’s 4 good bats (ok goldy is on decline but still has some in tank). Question next year is catcher. I haven’t been impressed with knizler offense at all this year and we all now he is a minus defensively….
headhawks
Cutting the above 3 or more…. or just let them play it out in STL. Hell this season is lost anyway. Can not catch Milwaukee and wild card is just as out of reach most likely.
kboroczk
Unfortunately, as long as we have Mozeliak, there is little hope in STL. It’s nice that we have Goldschmidt and Arenado, but he’s let too much good talent leave STL and hasn’t done much to add to this team besides those two above. I have little confidence he will find anything that will impact 2021.
KCJ
Lars Nootbaar is awesome.
17dizzy
John Mozeliak absolutely will not sign any impact pitchers or impact hitters for the remainder of the 2021 season! At least if he maintains the the same practices as he has over the past several seasons.
No trades for any impact players. Only cast offs from other teams. That’s Mozeliak’s form of help. A cast off—- LaBlonc—- was a DFA player picked up supposedly to FORTIFY the Bullpen. Now—— all of a sudden he’s starting Friday!!!! Now that’s Mozeliak’s memo of mid season acquisitions.
That’s also why many Dedicated Cardinals Fans are not purchasing tickets to Busch Stadium!! Not because of the current players, but rather the Fans have had their fill of the Cardinals Front Office.
Yearly—- the Cardinals Front Office neglects to adequately supply mid season impact upgrades who could catapult the Cardinals not only to the NL Central Championship——— but possibly even a berth in the 2021 World Series.
paulk-2
Wade LeBlanc has a 2.17 ERA since signing with Cardinals. So far, its a good signing. Its a better decision then throwing Martinez out there every 5 to 6 days or keeping Matt Carpenter on this team, Sometimes the small signings are the best. I understand where you are coming from but tell us who is available to go trade for?
Not many are going to deny that Martinez and Carpenter are holding this team back from any progression. We need SP and OF’s for sure, I just don’t see a big time bat or arm free to just make a call and get it done right now.
Also, remember 2011 when Mo traded away Colby Rasmus and others for role players? How did that turn out?