St. Louis Cardinals Key Reliever Suffers Back Injury; Return TBD

An early injury concern for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Reliever Giovanny Gallegos of the Cardinals was unable to play on Opening Day against the Toronto Blue Jays due to a lower back injury.

#STLCards manager Oli Marmol said reliever Giovanny Gallegos didn’t pitch because of a back injury suffered on Wednesday. It worsened during Thursday’s pregame session.

Marmol said he likely would have used Ryan Helsley in the 8th and Gallegos in the 9th inning.

— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) March 31, 2023

According to reports by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and The Athletic, Gallegos' condition is being monitored, and he is considered day-to-day.

Despite losing his closer role to Ryan Helsley midway through last season, Gallegos is expected to play a significant role in the Cardinals' bullpen this year after posting a 3.05 ERA, a 31.1% strikeout rate, and a 1.02 WHIP in the previous season.

Initial X-rays on Willson Contreras were negative, but he’s off for more imaging now and the Cardinals hope to have more info within a couple of hours.

Regarding bullpen roles in the late innings: Giovanny Gallegos was not available today. He’s dealing with a lower-back issue.

— Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) March 31, 2023

Manager Oliver Marmol referred to the injury as a "tweak," and since the team has a day off on Friday, Gallegos may not have to miss any additional games. The Cardinals will undoubtedly monitor his condition closely and hope to have him back in the bullpen as soon as possible.

Over his six-year career, the 31-year-old has compiled a 3.05 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, with 316 strikeouts over 260 innings and 234 appearances. He's converted 34 saves. Photo Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports