JUPITER, Fla. — A few hours before being named officially as the Cardinals' opening day starter for his final season in the majors, Adam Wainwright instead will be placed on the injured list with a groin strain sustained during the World Baseball Classic.
Wainwright and right-handed reliever Wilking Rodriguez will open the season on the IL and miss the next several weeks, manager Oliver Marmol announced Thursday morning.
Wainwright will halt his throwing program and delay his season debut by as much as a month as he likely needs to work through a rehab assignment to build arm strength and stamina once the groin injury subsides. He had scans taken of the groin Wednesday afternoon to determine the extent of damage.
