Adam Wainwright was in line for his seventh Opening Day start. Instead, the veteran St. Louis Cardinals’ right-hander will begin what’s slated to be his final season on the injured list with a groin injury.

Cardinals Manager Oliver Marmol told reporters Thursday before St. Louis’ spring training game against the New York Yankees that Wainwright could miss several weeks.

The 41-year-old apparently strained his groin in a workout before Team USA lost to Japan 3-2 in the championship game of the World Baseball Classic on Tuesday. Wainwright went 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA over eight innings to help the U.S. reach the final.

“We’ll continue to evaluate over the next few days but no timetable at the moment,” Marmol said, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “There is a spot in the rotation now open, and we’re going to have to sit down and make sure that we’re not missing anything that goes into that.”

Wainwright has gone 195-117 with a 3.38 ERA over 17 seasons with the Cardinals. He’s a three-time All-Star who’s posted two 20-win seasons, along with winning two Gold Gloves.

The Cardinals welcomed back to camp Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt, who played for Team USA, along with Lars Nootbaar, an outfielder for Team Japan. The Cardinals posted a picture of them stretching with the caption: “What do you think they are talking about!?”
Goldschmidt and Nootbaar were in the starting lineup Thursday.

PHILLIES: First baseman Rhys Hoskins was carted off the field during a spring training game after hurting his left knee while fielding a grounder.

Hoskins hit 30 homers with 79 RBI last season for the reigning National League champions.

He was backing up to play a chopper when the ball popped out of his glove. Soon after, he fell to the ground and began clutching his left knee. Teammates gathered around him before he was taken off of the field.

Hoskins, who turned 30 last week, hit six homers in Philadelphia’s playoff run last season. The Phillies lost to the Houston Astros in the World Series.

It could be another blow for the Phillies, who will be without top pitching prospect Andrew Painter for another few weeks because of a sprained ligament in his right elbow. And slugger Bryce Harper isn’t expected back until around the All-Star break after undergoing Tommy John surgery in November.

BRAVES: Atlanta closer Raisel Iglesias will open the season on the injured list due to right shoulder inflammation, the team said Thursday.

The Braves say an MRI showed the right-hander has “low-grade” inflammation and will not throw for seven days.

Iglesias was expected to move into the closer’s role after Kenley Jansen signed with the Red Sox. Iglesias, 33, had a combined 17 saves last season for the Los Angeles Angels and Atlanta. With the Braves, Iglesias allowed only one earned run in 28 appearances for a 0.34 ERA with one save while serving mainly in a set-up role for Jansen.

JED LOWRIE is calling it a career after 14 MLB seasons, and is now turning his attention to his kids’ sports teams.

The former Boston Red Sox infielder announced his retirement Thursday on his Instagram account.

“No one gets to play forever. And the time as come for me to close the chapter of my playing career,” Lowrie wrote.

Lowrie’s career spanned 15 years (including the 2020 season where he did not play), with the Red Sox initially drafting him in the first round in 2005. Lowrie went on to play for the Houston Astros, Oakland A’s and New York Mets. He spent a total of seven seasons in Oakland across three separate stints.

Lowrie played his first four MLB seasons in Boston, where he hit .252 with a .732 OPS. He went on to become an All-Star in 2018 with the A’s, hitting .267 with a career-high 23 home runs.

“To every organization, that believed in me and gave me the opportunity to play, and to the fans in Boston, Houston, New York, and Oakland, it wasn’t always perfect, but I gave my all and I’m grateful for the opportunity to play for you. Thank you,” Lowrie wrote.
“Love never dies though, so I look forward to new opportunities in the game,” Lowrie finished.

What new opportunities are up next for the one-time All-Star? Lowrie told the San Francisco Chronicle that he now serves as an assistant coach for his daughter’s softball team.

“There’s a lot I’ve missed, doing this all of their lives,” Lowrie said to the Chronicle. “And nobody gets to play forever, right? I’ve just gotten to the point where I listen to my body and when I think about playing another 162, I don’t want to do that.”

FRANCHISE VALUES: According to a report by Forbes, the New York Yankees top the list of most-valuable franchises in Major League Baseball at $7.1 billion, followed by the Dodgers ($4.8B), Red Sox ($4.5B) and Cubs ($4.1B).