Mikolas OK after taking comebacker off arm
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CHICAGO -- Miles Mikolas was lifted after pitching four innings in Friday's 3-1 loss to the Cubs due to a right forearm contusion, but the Cardinals right-hander isn’t worried about missing any games moving forward.
Mikolas took a hard liner from David Bote on his right elbow in the bottom of the fourth inning. He recovered, found the ball and recorded the out at first.
“Little tight, little sore,” Mikolas said. “I don’t think it’ll be anything that hampers me going forward.”
Mikolas' forearm swelled and bruised enough that manager Mike Shildt decided to double-switch Yairo Muñoz for Jedd Gyorko at third base in the bottom of the fifth inning. Munoz batted ninth, in Mikolas’ spot, as Giovanny Gallegos came in to pitch. It bought five spots in the lineup.
“[It was on] the good, meaty part of my bone,” Mikolas said. “No breaks, no chips, no cracks, just a good swelling.”
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The Cubs led the Cardinals, 3-0, when Mikolas exited. He gave up a two-run homer in the first to Javier Báez, and the Cubs scored again in the fourth when Jason Heyward and Victor Caratini hit back-to-back doubles.
Shildt said the Cardinals will re-evaluate Mikolas on Saturday after he plays catch, but the skipper was confident there was nothing to worry about.
“Nothing structural, nothing that we feel will make him miss a start,” Shild said. “It just looks [like] it got him flushed. But no structural damage, nothing to the bone. Give him credit, [he] made the play and got the out. But he’ll be OK moving forward.”