Cardinals Stud, Nolan Arenado is heading to the IL
The St. Louis Cardinals are shutting down veteran third baseman Nolan Arenado, placing him on the 10-day injured list due to a lingering right shoulder injury, according to Katie Woo of the Athletic. The Cardinals stud will not be in the lineup against the San Diego Padres on Friday.
Arenado has been dealing with discomfort in his throwing shoulder since early July, missing a few games in hopes of managing the pain without a stint on the IL. Even the All-Star break offered no real relief, prompting the club to finally take action.
This marks a rare trip to the injured list for Arenado, who has historically avoided extended absences throughout his career. But the injury has clearly impacted his performance at the plate. In July, the veteran slugger posted a .175 batting average with just two extra-base hits and no home runs. His OPS for the month was a meager .440 — a dramatic drop from his career norms.
No Use Risking the All-Star for a likely .500 season
Had the Cardinals remained in contention, the team might have pushed Arenado to stay active and grind through the issue. But with the club having sold off several key pieces at the trade deadline and shifted into long-term planning mode, giving Arenado time to recover became the obvious choice.
There’s currently no timetable for his return. In a corresponding move, the Cardinals reinstated infielder Nolan Gorman from the injured list. Gorman is expected to take over primary duties at third base while Arenado recovers.
