St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Matt Adams has been out of action since May with a quad tear, and his progress toward a return has hit a stumbling block.
Continue for updates.
Adams Suffers Setback in Recovery from Injury
Tuesday, Sept. 1
The Cards have thrived without Adams in the lineup as they are 85-46, which is the best record in Major League Baseball. Even so, Adams' return would be huge for an offense that is somewhat lacking in terms of power.
Unfortunately for the Cardinals and their fans, the 27-year-old slugger revealed to Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch he recently suffered a setback while rehabbing in Jupiter, Florida:
We're back to taking it day by day. It's nothing too serious. Just running the bases, it got kind of sore. ... It's something we've got to take care of before it gets out of control and we'll revisit it whenever the time's ready and get back, hopefully, in time to play some games. That was the goal. ... It's disappointing but stuff happens. You've got to have a good mindset with it and know it's nothing too serious and I'll be able to get back before the year's over.
While Adams seems optimistic despite the setback, there is certainly some cause for concern as only one month remains in the regular season. The Cardinals are a surefire playoff team, which gives Adams some extra time, but there is no guarantee that he'll be back.
The news is particularly disconcerting since rookie outfielder Randal Grichuk is currently on the disabled list as well with an elbow ailment.
Mark Reynolds and Brandon Moss have filled in at first base during Adams' absence, and while they have 14 home runs combined, they are hitting just .238 and .222, respectively.
Adams was hitting .243 with four homers and 20 RBI before going down, but he previously hit .288 with 15 home runs and 68 RBI in 2014.
He is a feared lefty in the middle of St. Louis' lineup, and the fact that he is out of action certainly limits what the Cards can do offensively.
It hasn't come back to bite St. Louis yet, but if Adams is ultimately unable to return by the end of the season, it could potentially prevent the Cardinals from making a run to the World Series.
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