Cardinals High-Leverage Hurler Officially Having Season-Ending Surgery

St. Louis will have to wait to see their newly acquired right-hander in action

May 8, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A general view of the tarp on the field as storms move through the St. Louis region delaying a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals have had a rocky start to their 2024 season, to say the least, and things just got worse.

The Cardinals are trying to dig themselves out of a sloppy start to the season, fighting to get above .500. Part of their slow start is due to a middling pitching staff, which will miss out on a highly anticipated reinforcement.

"Bad break for the (Cardinals) bullpen," The Athletic's Katie Woo reported on Tuesday afternoon. "Keynan Middleton will undergo season-ending flexor repair surgery. He will not throw a pitch for the Cardinals this season."

The 30-year-old has a career 3.84 ERA, 199-to-85 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .242 batting average against and a 1.34 WHIP in 194 1/3 innings pitched across 205 starts.

After St. Louis signed Middleton in the offseason, he sustained a right forearm injury in spring training. Although the Cardinals had initially hoped he could return this season, he'll now be getting season-ending surgery, pushing back his St. Louis debut until 2025 -- that's if his club option is accepted.

This news has been expected after murmurs of a season-ending surgery entering the discussion roughlt a week ago. Now he is taking all questions away and opting to go under the knife.

Middleton would have been a great addition to an average bullpen and could have helped propel St. Louis even further in their recent push to get this season back on track.

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