JUPITER, Fla. • St. Louis Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright has flown back to St. Louis this morning to have his right elbow examined this afternoon after he experienced discomfort in the joint.
General manager John Mozeliak said he believes it is a "significant injury" and the early word is "not encouraging."
Tommy John surgery is one alternative to repair the damage for which Wainwright is being checked.
"After his bullpen on Monday, he did feel something in his right elbow," Mozeliak said. "I can say just based on the initial evaluation from our training staff, things do not look encouraging. But before we jump to any conclusions, we'll just wait until the re-evaluation this afternoon."
Mozeliak said there would be an update Wednesday afternoon.
Wainwright finished second in the Cy Young voting and he won 20 games last season for the Cardinals. He and Cy Young Award-winner Roy Halladay were the only pitchers in the National League to finish in the top 10 in the major pitching categories.
The righthander was first diagnosed with a tear in the same ligament back in 2004. He has twiced missed turns with a strain in his elbow related to that injury. Last summer, he missed his final start of last season due to discomfort in the joint.
A checkup in November, however, assured him and the Cardinals of the joint's stability and structure, and even a few weeks ago, as spring training started, Wainwright insisted that he wasn't concerned about the joint.
"My ligament is intact and strong," Wainwright said in a Feb. 10 Post-Dispatch story. "It's not like it's ready to pop."
Mozeliak said today: "There is probably a connection between the ligament being compromised (earlier) to now. Obviously, he's pitched very successfully between (2004) and now. I guess at some point, it's just a matter of time."
Wainwright has a $21-million, two-year option at the end of this season that was triggered by his finish in the Cy Young voting. To claim the option he must finish the year healthy and not on the team's disabled lis