Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina is flying back home to St. Louis today to have an MRI on his right knee. He left the night cap of the Cardinals double header with the Pirates in the fourth inning after more pain and discomfort. It’s an issue he’s been dealing with since just before the All-Star break. The club called it a sprain and the MRI will provide some clarity.
Whatever the outcome of the tests, it is likely that Molina will miss at least a couple of weeks. He played in the first ten games following the All-Star break and hasn’t been 100%.
Molina is second in the National League with a .330 batting average and third with 30 doubles. Molina has caught the most innings in baseball. He had started 93 of the team’s first 105 games.
While adding another arm to the rotation before the trade deadline would be a nice luxury for GM John Mozeliak, there is no catcher to replace Yadi. Any long term absence could have a crippling effect on this club.