Miles Mikolas is done for the season. What were the St. Louis Cardinals thinking?
What a surprise it was Tuesday to learn that St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas has been lost to the season due to an arm injury, he said sarcastically.
I’m sure those who were paying attention remember way back in spring training, as baseball prepared to go on a nearly four-month-long hiatus that Mikolas was on the shelf with the same problem. Instead of addressing it, the Cardinals hoped the injury would magically go away. Just like COVID-19, it didn’t. So, instead of nipping things in the bud and having the hurler with a four-year contract on the mend for 2021, Mikolas will have surgery now. And I won’t be surprised at all when he misses the first half of next season.
It’s befuddling because the Cardinals front office loves to tell us how deep its starting pitching is. But then it does something like this to squander a resource.
How much will Mikolas being out hurt St. Louis? It’s hard to say for sure because we will never know if he would have been the 18-4 pitcher with the 2.83 earned run average he was in 2018 — or the 9-14 hurler with the 4.13 ERA he had last year. Frankly, my hopes weren’t high because of the health question marks that surrounded him. Hopefully, he’ll get this situation nipped in the bud and the last three years of his lucrative contract won’t be a total dud. The Cardinals are finally getting out from under the disastrous four-year deal they handed Mike Leake. They don’t need another financial black hole on the roster.
The team should have ample alternatives to choose from. And I’m not talking about Carlos Martinez, who was absolutely terrible early on for St. Louis against the Twins. As usual, Martinez has great stuff, but he gets out of sorts at the drop of a hat. You could see the disaster coming from a mile away when, with two on and no outs, shortstop Paul DeJong inexplicably decided to try to throw out a runner he had no chance to get at the plate. What could have been a one or two-run inning turned into a five-run outburst and that was pretty much it for the night.
Gomber, Gant, Ponce de Leon should get a shot
In order, the guys I would like to see get a shot at filling Mikolas’ rotation spot are Austin Gomber, John Gant and Daniel Ponce de Leon.
Gomber was first in to replace Martinez and did a great job of settling things down. The reason I’d like to see him first is because he’s the biggest unknown. After a lost season last year due to injury, I want to know if he can take the ball every fifth day and do a good job. I’m confident he can and, if he doesn’t have a place in the St. Louis rotation, it would be a good idea to showcase him and maybe trade him to a pitching poor team for an asset the Cardinals can use.
Gant has been great as a relief pitcher. At least before he was worn out last year. I wonder if starting would suit him better because he’d get more consistent rest. Unlike Martinez, Gant has a lot of poise and manages games well. I think he’s earned a chance to carry more of the load.
Ponce de Leon is a guy who has done everything the team has asked of him and he ought to get a shot to see what his ceiling is. Ponce de Leon has given up 60 hits in 82 major league innings including 12 starts. Mikolas’ injury could end up being a blessing and disguise as it will free up some innings that will allow the Cardinals to sort through their depth and find out who is worth keeping.
Regardless of who is pitching, the Cardinals need to do something about their pathetic offense if they’re going to have a chance to compete this season. A two-run homer off the bat of Tyler O’Neill and a solo shot off for Tommy Edman off the glove of an opposing outfielder’s glove were the only scoring opportunities this team could muster against the tattered remains of Homer Bailey, a pitcher the Birds used to beat like a drum back in his Cincinnati Reds days. I sure hope the Dylan Carlson era is rapidly approaching.
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Scott Wuerz is a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan. The Cheap Seats blog is written from his perspective as a fan and is designed to spark discussion among fans of the Cardinals and other MLB teams. Sources supporting his views and opinions are linked. If you’re looking for Cardinals news and features, check out the BND’s Cardinals section.
