Cardinals Stash $112 Million Rookie JJ Wetherholt on the IL with Wrist Injury

The Cardinals just put their $112 million rookie on the shelf. JJ Wetherholt is heading to the 10-day injured list with a wrist issue, pausing the best thing St. Louis baseball has going for it right now.

Wetherholt has been the runaway favorite for National League Rookie of the Year, making this a brutal blow for anyone holding a futures ticket on the 23-year-old. He is expected to be sidelined until at least mid-September, leaving a massive hole in the middle of the St. Louis infield.

"MLB Trade Rumors reported the move to the 10-day injured list."

Before his wrist decided to stop cooperating, Wetherholt was putting on an absolute clinic. He has racked up 4.6 WAR, 17 home runs, and 14 stolen bases in 130 games. The batting average sits at a modest .242, but his elite defense and power have made him the undisputed anchor of the Cardinals' youth movement.

St. Louis literally just handed this guy an eight-year, $112.5 million extension in July to be the face of the franchise after shipping out veterans like Nolan Arenado. Losing him now is like buying a brand new Ferrari, paying the insurance upfront, and immediately getting a flat tire in the dealership parking lot.

The Cardinals will have to patch together their middle infield while trying to survive a weekend series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. If Wetherholt can actually return by his estimated September 11 target date, he still has plenty of time to lock up his rookie hardware. If not, the awards race just got blown wide open.