What the Cardinals called an “aggressive” game of catch Tuesday was supposed to be prelude to Miles Mikolas’ return to the mound on Wednesday, but instead it forced a detour that will delay him further.
Mikolas will undergo a series of exams Wednesday to explore reasons why soreness has seized on his right shoulder and not relented.
Manager Mike Shildt confirmed the change in Mikolas’ schedule after Tuesday’s game against the Mets in Port St. Lucie, Fla. The decision to cancel Mikolas’ planned bullpen session Wednesday morning was made shortly before the bus left Jupiter, Fla., on Tuesday, just after Mikolas had experienced continued soreness in his right shoulder.
Shildt said Mikolas won’t be able to start the season on time as hoped.
The decision to delay Mikolas’ throwing program comes on the same day the Cardinals notified righthander Alex Reyes that he will be a reliever this season and removed from the starters’ competition. The Cardinals had already expressed caution when it came to Reyes having a full starters’ workload this season, and on Tuesday baseball operations president John Mozeliak said the team has targeted 100 innings for Reyes’ use in 2021.