(Busch Stadium) There are still a couple of more steps before he’s fully ready to return, but Adam Wainwright took a significant step forward this afternoon in his rehab from a right elbow impingement.
“Threw a flat ground today, everything went great,” shared Wainwright, who was placed on the DL on August 18th. “Looking at a day off and either a bullpen on Monday or Tuesday, then the next one will be a ‘live’ whenever it happens.”
After that, Wainwright anticipates being able to return to game action. In what role remains unclear.
“I don’t know, I think it all depends on how my arm reacts and what they want me to do,” said Wainwright. “I haven’t even got into that with them, honestly, because we’re just trying to get better and get back on the field. But I’m preparing to start and if it’s something else, then it’s something else.”
Wainwright shares this is the best he’s felt since the first three innings against Chicago back on July 22nd. He went 7.2 innings in that outing, but it was late in the game that back issues helped force him from the mound.
“I threw a sinker today that actually sank,” said Wainwright. “It had late action and I was like, oh that’s what it feels like. That’s nice.”
Wainwright has some history in making a late season return, back in 2015, he pitched in the last 3 games of the season and playoffs after missing the majority of the season with a torn Achilles. That is fresh in him memory has he prepares to pitch again–in the rotation or from the bullpen.
“I want to do what helps the team the most,” said Wainwright. “Next year I want to start. Next year, for sure I can tell you like, I’ll be ready to start. This year, I don’t know. We’ll have to see how it responds. I would like to think that I’ll be able to start, may not be able to. We’ll have to see.”
photo credit: Jeff Curry, Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
