Allen Craig is out with Lisfranc, a tricky injury that happens when one or more bones in your foot are separated from the main bone, the tarsus.  It is also located right at the arch of your foot.   This is why the Cardinals and their medical staff were so secretive and privy with their timetable for Craig’s return.    Usually, the hacks at Busch get these injuries wrong but this time I can’t blame them too much.   This is a tricky injury that has spun around a few teams in its wake.   The Cards never gave any false hope or gave a direct timetable.  They tentative and hesitant to supply hope to a condition they were unsure of.  Craig’s foot showed no fracture and was put in a boot on September 4th.  Over three weeks later, his status didn’t improve so they did more tests and found out that Lisfranc will keep Craig out for at least the NLDS, which begins next Thursday.   What does this mean?

The Cards are without their RBI machine for a decent time frame.   Derrick Goold made a smart comment on The Fast Lane this week about the mere presence of Craig on the bench in the playoffs being a threat to other teams.   He could be there for the one swing the team needs late in the game and replace the guy, Matt Adams, who took his spot at first and hopefully be good in time for a World Series if it happens.   Now, you don’t know what to think.  Craig is out for the unknown future and the only difference is there is now a reason behind it.  Once again, the Cards medical staff made no promises to the public for the past three weeks.  The timetable for his return is more precise now.

X-rays don’t often locate the injury and treatment depends on the particular extent of the injury.   Less serious cases are 6 weeks.   More serious cases are 12 weeks.  Surgery may be needed.  It may not.   The Cards and John Mozelaik are taking a conservative approach and sitting him for the next 2 weeks in hope that the injury corrects itself with treatment and Craig is ready to go in some capacity for the NLCS, should the Cards make it that far.

Right now, it’s too hard to tell but this much is known.  Don’t blame the medical staff.  Plenty of teams have missed this kind of injury and even if they caught it, the down time may have been the same.  This isn’t a simple fracture or sprain or strain.  This is tricky.  Best case scenario is 2 more weeks.  Worse case is spring training.

Craig’s loss will be felt over the long term but seeing how much more improved Adams has been in his second extended playing time stint, I doubt this will be traumatic.    It only means players like David Freese, Matt Holliday and Carlos Beltran need to keep producing.  Pick up the slack.  Patch it up.  Move on.  The same thing this 2013 team has done since February.

Play on.  Clinch the division tonight.  Let Adam Wainwright pitch tomorrow because it would put him on regular turn for Game 1 of the NLDS and keep him in rhythm.  The Cards want the top home field spot in the playoffs as much as anybody.  We are playing very well at home right now.   Pitch Waino tomorrow, keep him on pace and don’t mess around with schedules.  Keep going with what got you here and don’t get fancy.  That’s all.

-Dan Buffa

@buffa82 on Twitter