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BREAKING: As was discussed prior to the news being made official, Carlos Martinez has indeed been called up to start Thursday’s series finale against the Dodgers (via @LangoschMLB).
SHELBY UPDATE: As of 10:30 AM CT, it appears that Miller will avoid the disabled list at this time (via @LangoschMLB).
On just his second pitch of the game, Shelby Miller was injured on a comeback line-drive off the bat of Dodgers’ leadoff man, Carl Crawford. The liner struck Miller in his throwing elbow–ricocheting over David Freese into short left field for a double.
According to Jenifer Langosch and the St. Louis Cardinals, Miller has been diagnosed with a right elbow “contusion” after x-ray came back negative. This can be seen as good news considering the speed at which the ball came off Crawford’s bat. In short, a “contusion” is basically just a bruise, so expect Miller’s elbow to be black and blue tomorrow. However, if you want a more in-depth definition of the injury, I provided one below.
According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, “Contusions are second only to strains as a leading cause of sports injuries. Most contusions are minor and heal quickly… But, severe contusions can cause deep tissue damage and can lead to complications and/or keep the athlete out of sports for months.”
Also, here is what Dr. Rick Lehman, the founder/medical director of the U.S. Center for Sports Medicine, had to say after the diagnosis was made public:
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Thus, it looks as if Miller is headed to the disabled list. If it truly is just a contusion and no complications arise, this very well may end up being a “blessing in disguise” for the Cardinals. Before tonight, Miller was on pace for nearly 175 innings pitched this season.
As a rookie who is widely considered the Cardinals’ number two starter, the team needed to start limiting his innings in some manner. Sure, I do not wish an injury on any player, but as long as this one remains minor, then this may be the perfect time to give Miller the rest he needed.
Also, as I stated in a previous article, I believe Carlos Martinez deserves a shot in the starting rotation considering he has been used as a starter for the majority of the season in Memphis. With Martinez scheduled to pitch tomorrow in Triple-A, this is the perfect time for Martinez to get a shot in the rotation at the big league level. (Just a heads up, I had this part written and published before the Martinez news was made official)
Get well, Shelby, but in the meantime, let’s hope Cardinals fans can get a taste of the future with Martinez in the big league rotation. Miller needs the rest, and Martinez needs the experience. If any injury can ever be considered a good one, this just may be it…as long as Shelby returns fully healthy in a few weeks.
Until next time…
Joe
Follow me on Twitter: @stlCupofJoe
Filed under: St. Louis Cardinals Tagged: Carlos Martinez, Miller, Shelby Miller, St. Louis Cardinals Image may be NSFW.
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