JUPITER, Fla. (AP) - Pitcher Jaime Garcia will fly to St. Louis on Sunday to have doctors examine his surgically repaired throwing shoulder and is unlikely to be ready for the start of the season, Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said on Saturday.
Garcia had season-ending surgery last year to correct pain that had bothered him for a couple of seasons. He arrived in Jupiter early to get a head start preparing for this season.
The 27-year old’s throwing sessions this spring had been going well until his last outing when pain returned.
Garcia had been the favorite to become the fifth starter, and lone left-hander, in the rotation.
Mozeliak did not want to speculate on the severity of Garcia’s injury, adding that some soreness following shoulder surgery is not uncommon.
Garcia was 5-2 with a 3.58 ERA last season before being shut down. He won a career-high 13 games in the 2010 and 2011 seasons.
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