Wainwright

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Cardinals' Adam Wainwright has 'significant' elbow injury
Adam Wainwright was a 20-game winner last season with the Cardinals. CAPTIONBy Jeff Roberson, APSuddenly, the potential distraction of Albert Pujols' contract situation is far from the most pressing issue in St. Louis Cardinals camp.

Starting pitcher Adam Wainwright, who finished second in the National League Cy Young Award race last season, left Cardinals camp in Jupiter, Fla. and returned to St. Louis to have his pitching elbow examined.

General manager John Mozeliak told news reporters that the elbow injury is "significant."

If early indications are as grim as they appear, and Wainwright is headed for Tommy John ligament replacement surgery, the blow would be a devastating one for the Cardinals.

They are built heavily on Pujols and pitching, and losing their co-ace -- along with veteran Chris Carpenter -- would vastly change the dynamic of the club while also giving significant hope to the defending NL Central champion Cincinnati Reds, as well as the upstart Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs.

Minus Wainwright, those clubs could easily boast a superior 1-2 (or even 1-2-3) pitching duo than the Cardinals, with the Brewers adding Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum to Yovanni Gallardo, and the Cubs adding Matt Garza to Ryan Dempster and a revitalized Carlos Zambrano.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Wainwright had a tear in the same ligament in 2004 and missed his final start of 2010 due to discomfort.

An elbow examination in November showed no structural problems, and Mozeliak reports that the latest problem was discovered after Wainwright threw a bullpen session. The GM is expected to provide an update on Wainwright's prognosis Wednesday afternoon.

The Post-Dispatch also notes that Wainwright's two-year contract option that was triggered by his Cy Young finish is valid only if he does not finish the 2011 season on the disabled list.

And as with everything involving the Cardinals this season, it all comes back to Pujols. The chance to win consistently while also getting paid a salary commensurate to his status in the game is a significant portion of Pujols' free agency equation.

If Wainwright misses this season and spends part of 2012 recovering from surgery, it probably wouldn't help the Cards' chances of convincing their franchise icon that he can do both in St. Louis.

Wainwright posted a 20-11 record and a 2.42 ERA last season, losing out to Roy Halladay in Cy Young voting. In 2009, he finished third in Cy Young balloting after a 19-8, 2.63 season, and he's 64-34 since joining the Cardinals rotation full-time in 2007.

For now, the Cardinals will make do with what they have and, presumably, explore replacement options. Speculation has already begun that they will pursue free agent pitcher Kevin Millwood.