St. Louis Cardinals Ryan Heelsley Relief Pitcher. (Jeff Carey-USA Today Sports)
Things could get even worse for the St. Louis Cardinals after their ninth-round collapse with Ryan Hillsley put in a state of flux due to injury.
It was a tough Friday for the St. Louis Cardinals, who blew a 2-0 lead in the top of the ninth to lose Game 1 of the NL Wildcard Series against the Phillies.
Closer Ryan Helsley was a stud for the STL in his first All-Star season, but his 2022 post-season debut was a mistake. He took the loss by allowing four winning runs, hitting the bat with loading the bases to start the breakdown.
It turns out that Helsley was dealing with an injury, which now put the rest of his playoff matches in jeopardy.
Ryan Hillsley injury update: Cardinals’ bowler needs X-ray
Per Bob Nightingale, Helsley needs x-rays on his finger, which he jammed on Tuesday against Pittsburgh. He lost touch with numbers during the ninth inning.
Looking at Helsley’s performance this season, it certainly looks like numbness in his finger affected his throwing on Friday.
Since he made 33 throws in Game 1, his availability for Game 2 could be called into question even if the X-rays come back clean. Oliver Marmol may not want to tire the jug. That could put the Cardinals in a tough spot on Saturday night. The loss eliminates them from the playoffs. Having Helseli, even after Friday’s crash, would be better than not being on the hill.
If scans come back with bad news, St. Louis won’t just have to worry about wildcard string traversal. Their remaining hopes could be severely dented by the loss of their star so close.
The stress of watching that finale on Friday will have to continue into the night as fans wait for the news closely.
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