Louis Cardinals have lost one of their best players to a potentially lengthy injury. Rookie second baseman JJ Wetherholt was placed on the 10-day injured list with right wrist tendinitis, the team announced Sunday. Infielder César Prieto was called up in a corresponding move.
Wetherholt told reporters, including the Belleville News-Democrat, that he played through discomfort over the last few weeks that was chalked up to heavy usage. He will see a specialist in the coming days and hopes it is a minimum 10-day stint on the injured list, though you can be sure St. Louis will be cautious with its prized rookie.
The Cardinals have lost eight of their last 12 games and are behind three teams for the third wild-card spot. Here are the NL wild-card standings entering Sunday: 1. Phillies: 76-70 (+4 GB) 3.
Padres: 72-64 ----------------------------------- 4. Diamondbacks: 73-65 (percentage points behind the Padres) 5. Cardinals: 68-69 (4 ½ GB) Wetherholt, 24 next month, has been the NL Rookie of the Year favorite most of the season.
He's hitting .242/.343/.370 with 17 home runs and 14 stolen bases, which is roughly league-average offense, and he's a sensational defender. Wetherholt ranks second among all players at all positions with 21 outs above average. He trails only Pete Crow-Armstrong (23 OAA).
As a league-average hitter with terrific defense, Wetherholt's Rookie of the Year case is a stathead one more than a traditional one. His 4.4 WAR is top 10 among all position players and more than a full win clear of the next best NL rookie. Here are three players who could benefit in the Rookie of the Year race should Wetherholt's wrist injury cost him more than the minimum 10 days.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
