ST. LOUIS–The second official day of spring training is apparently bringing with it the second day of potential shoulder concerns for another member of the St. Louis Cardinals pitching staff.
According to our news partners at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Jack Flaherty missed the day to get “further medical evaluation on his right shoulder.” Team doctors are still said to be working on the review.
On Monday, the team revealed that Alex Reyes had not thrown off a mound since the end of last season and would be delayed this spring, also because of shoulder issues.
Flaherty missed substantial time in 2021 with an oblique injury and later a shoulder strain and is one of several Cardinals pitchers looking to rebound from injuries within the last year or so. In the projected starting rotation alone, Flaherty, Miles Mikolas (forearm), and Dakota Hudson (elbow surgery) missed time in 2021 while rehabbing injuries.
Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak has told reporters since the end of the lockout last week that one of the most important orders of business in the early days of spring training would be to find out what players, and particularly pitchers, have been doing since December 1, the last time teams were allowed to have contact with club personnel.
In some cases, teams have been surprised. The San Diego Padres learned that star shortstop Fernando Tatis, Jr. would miss three months due to a wrist injury suffered in an offseason motorcycle crash.