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The St. Louis Cardinals lost Nolan Arenado for the remainder of their game on Wednesday after a hit. The star third baseman took a pitch on his forearm and fell to the ground in considerable pain. He is currently considered day-to-day and there is no other update, but the injury he sustained looked painful.
With the game tied in the top of the eighth inning, Arenado led off. A pitch from Huascar Brazoban came inside on him. The third baseman turned and began a swing before holding up, but he'd gone far enough around that his back forearm was exposed.
The pitch hit him squarely there before ricocheting toward his groin, sending him to the ground immediately. He was down for a while being checked out by trainers, and eventually had to be escorted off the field and replaced in the lineup.
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The runner brought in for Arenado didn't come around to score and put them in the lead. Instead, the Miami Marlins went on to walk it off in the ninth inning, securing a 4-3 win. Arenado's status is up in the air and the Cardinals didn't even benefit from the runner put on.
Nolan Arenado injury puts damper on Cardinals surge
After a dismal start to the season, the St. Louis Cardinals had been playing well of late. They'd surged back into the NL Central conversation and reached .500 again, thanks to a resurgent pitching staff and an improved offense.
Part of that improved offense was Arenado, who was hitting .296 across his last seven games. If he misses any time, the Cardinals offense will suffer. Their defense at third base, where Arenado is a Gold Glove-caliber player, will also suffer.
The Cardinals are in an interesting spot almost at the midway point of the season. They're certainly not out of the playoff race, as they're just 6.5 back of the Milwaukee Brewers. Are they good enough to make a run? Or are they bad enough that they should trade veterans and rebuild?
Arenado's injury complicates that, especially since he was a prime trade candidate who likely would have brought in a very nice haul for the Cardinals.
