Adam Wainwright’s ERA actually went down this afternoon, but he continues to struggle in his return from Tommy John surgery.
Wainwright allowed four runs on seven hits over five innings in a 6-3 loss to the Reds. While he struck out five and walked just one, he also allowed two homers and averaged just under 90 mph on his fastball (thanks to Brooks Baseball for the data).
Wainwright is now 0-3 over his first three starts and has a 9.88 ERA and 14/4 K/BB ratio over 13 2/3 innings. He has already served up five homers after giving up an average of 14 per season from 2007-2010.
While it’s not unusual for pitchers to struggle with their command following Tommy John surgery, giving up free passes and/or leaving pitches up or in the middle of the strike zone, it’s a bit troubling that Wainwright’s velocity has seemingly declined from his solid showing during spring training. The Cardinals are off to a fast start at 9-4, so this is hardly panic time, but three of their losses have come in Wainwright’s outings.
