Cardinals Injury Report: Jack Flaherty To Make Surprise Season Debut Wednesday

One day after starter Mike Mikolas was one strike away from a no-hitter, the Cardinals will hand the ball to 26-year-old ace Jack Flaherty in his return from an offseason shoulder injury.

Jack Flaherty Injury Update

Flaherty was originally scheduled to make a AAA rehab start on Wednesday, but St. Louis was clearly satisfied enough with his progress to activate him from the 60-day IL right away. 

He has spent the last three months rehabbing a shoulder that has ailed him for much of the last five years. 

Flaherty suffered a SLAP – referring to the labrum cartilage - tear multiple years ago, but an oblique injury in May 2021 messed with his mechanics and the changes led to him developing bursitis in his shoulder. 

He reported the soreness in March and underwent a PRP injection to address inflammation likely from the bursitis which is inflammation of the bursa sacks that protect the bones and tendons close to joints. 

There was initially reports of Flaherty re-joining the team in April, but he and the Cardinals slow-played his return.

Hopefully, that means he will be able to get through the season with no further shoulder issues, because when the 6'4" righty has been able to stay healthy he has been one of the best pitchers in baseball. 

In his last full season, 2019, Flaherty had a 2.75 ERA and league-leading 0.968 WHIP with 231 strikeouts in 196.1 IP and finished fourth in the NL Cy Young voting.