The St. Louis Cardinals had a rough Tuesday. Not only did they drop both games of a doubleheader against the Milwaukee Brewers (4-3 and 10-2), but they also lost reliever Ryne Stanek to an ankle injury. What started as a routine appearance turned into a scare when Stanek rolled his right ankle during one of the games. The team is calling him day to day, per MLB.com, and they’re optimistic he can avoid the injured list. But for now, he’s expected to miss at least a couple of days.
Stanek, 34, has had a rough year statistically. His ERA sits at 4.93 over 39 appearances, which is not great. But he’s a veteran right-hander who’s been through these slumps before. Even when he’s not at his best, he knows how to work through a lineup and give the team meaningful outs. The Cardinals are hoping this ankle thing doesn’t linger and that he’s back on the mound soon.
Doubleheader Disaster for St. Louis
The Brewers absolutely handled the Cardinals on Tuesday. Milwaukee won the first game 4-3 and then ran away with the nightcap 10-2. This isn’t just a standard series either — the two teams are playing five games in four days because of the doubleheader. They played Monday, played two Tuesday, and will finish things out Wednesday and Thursday. As of now, the Brewers lead that extended series 3-0. The Cardinals are desperately trying to avoid getting swept out of their own division rivalry.
St. Louis is in third place in the NL Central, 10.5 games behind the Brewers. That sounds bad, and it is bad for winning the division. But there’s a silver lining here: the Cardinals are only two games out of an NL Wild Card spot. That’s very much in reach. The team still believes they can compete this year, and a postseason push isn’t crazy talk. They just have to stop losing to the team ahead of them.
Stanek’s health is a small piece of that puzzle, but it matters. A bullpen that’s already dealing with injuries and inconsistency can’t afford to lose another arm for an extended stretch. The Cardinals will provide updates on his status as they come in. For now, St. Louis just needs to win a game against Milwaukee and get back on track.
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