The season for one of the St. Louis Cardinals’ recent acquisitions has come to an unfortunate end.
Relief pitcher Keynan Middleton is scheduled to undergo season-ending flexor tendon surgery soon.
Middleton signed a one-year, $6 million deal with the Cardinals before spring training, which also included a club option for 2025.
In March, Middleton suffered a right forearm strain under undisclosed circumstances. Before the injury, he had pitched three scoreless innings in spring training.
After reportedly returning from coaching a state high school basketball game out of state in mid-March, the Cardinals learned of Middleton’s injury. Unfortunately, his recovery has not progressed as well as hoped, leading to the need for season-ending surgery.
Cardinals manager Oli Marmol expressed the impact of Middleton’s absence, stating that other players will need to step up in his place.
The Cardinals have not yet revealed how Middleton’s injury may affect the potential club option for next year.
Throughout his seven MLB seasons with five different teams, Middleton has accumulated a 10-8 record, 3.84 ERA, and 15 saves in 205 games. He joined the New York Yankees last year at the trade deadline and posted a 1.88 ERA with 17 strikeouts in 12 games.
While the Cardinals’ bullpen ranks in the middle of the pack in team ERA (3.84), pitchers like Ryan Helsley and JoJo Romero have provided stability from the back end. Helsley leads the National League in saves with 19.
