3 Cardinals Pitchers Who Need to Step up During Miles Mikolas' Absence

The St. Louis Cardinals received some tough news on Tuesday when they found out that their No. 3 starter Miles Mikolas had been diagnosed with a flexor tendon injury in his throwing arm.

With the consensus being that it is unlikely he will be ready for the start of the regular season, the Cardinals will need some of their staff to step up to the plate to try and replace Mikolas' veteran presence on the roster.

3. Adam Wainwright

2020 could be Wainwright's last hurrah in the MLB. / Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Every year is another question as to whether or not Adam Wainwright will end up retiring. After signing a one-year deal this offseason, 2020 could be his final push for a World Series title. That means there's no bigger time for him to step up than now. In 2019, Wainwright had his best ERA since 2014, so he is hopefully trending in the right direction and can hold down the back end of the rotation until Mikolas returns soon after Opening Day. In what might be Wainwright's final chance at a third World Series ring, he needs to come up big for manager Mike Schildt and the Cardinals.

2. Carlos Martinez

Martinez has had good stats the past few years but needs to increase his role. / Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images

Carlos Martinez, after having All-Star seasons in 2015 and 2017, has disappointed since. This year is the season for him to step up. With Mikolas out, it's Martinez's chance to slide into a starting spot after assuming the closer role in Jordan Hicks' absence. His shoulder problems in 2019 hindered him from getting a role in the starting rotation, but the offseason hopefully helped him regain the form he once had. Whether he remains in the closer role until Hicks returns, or he gets a shot in the rotation, he needs to get back to his 2015 and 2017 form.

1. Jack Flaherty

Flaherty's elite ending to 2019 needs to keep up in 2020. / Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Jack Flaherty's mission should not be to reform himself, but rather to keep up his elite performance after a historical ending to 2019. He performed extremely well in his first stable role in the MLB, as he finished 2019 with a 2.75 ERA (0.95 in the second half), good for fourth in NL Cy Young Award voting. Of course, only doing it in one season makes it unclear whether or not he can continue pitching to that caliber, but if there's ever a time to do it, it's when Mikolas is on the IL.