Mikolas (shoulder) will be shut down from throwing for 7-to-10 days after the evaluation of Thursday's MRI, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

EDGE Analysis

Manager Mike Shildt said "early returns are favorable" following the MRI on Thursday, but the right-hander will still be prevented from throwing for at least a week while dealing with the shoulder soreness. Mikolas hasn't officially been ruled out for Opening Day, but it's safe to assume he'll begin the season on the injured list since he hasn't thrown off a mound since Feb. 25 and will likely be unable to be built up to a starter's workload.

Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said Thursday that recent imaging conducted on Mikolas' right shoulder revealed no structural damage, Rob Rains of StLSportsPage.com reports. "Early returns are favorable," Shildt said. "Nothing in the imaging that dictated anything invasive."

EDGE Analysis

Fortunately for Mikolas, he looks to be dealing with nothing more than soreness in his shoulder, so the Cardinals will have him back off his throwing program for a bit with the hope that extra rest helps remedy the issue. Even though he's not expected to be shut down for an extended period, Mikolas looks unlikely to be built up for a starter's workload by the time Opening Day arrives. If Mikolas indeed opens the season on the injured list, Daniel Ponce de Leon, John Gant and Johan Oviedo would likely be the top candidates to fill his spot in the rotation.

Mikolas won't throw his scheduled bullpen Wednesday as his shoulder soreness isn't progressing as the Cardinals hoped, Justin Toscano of The Bergen Record reports.

EDGE Analysis

A forearm injury cost Mikolas all of last season, but it's a shoulder problem that's bothering him so far this year. The issue has so far merely been referred to as stiffness or soreness, but the latest setback indicates that there could be something worse going on. The Cardinals should find that out after Mikolas undergoes further tests. The delay is already casting his readiness for Opening Day in some doubt, and it's possible he winds up being forced to miss an extended period.

Manager Mike Shildt said Mikolas (shoulder) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Wednesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

EDGE Analysis

The 32-year-old was originally expected to throw a bullpen session Sunday morning, but he instead participated in a light workout and had the session pushed back. Mikolas hasn't throw off a mound since Feb. 25, and Shildt wouldn't commit to the right-hander's availability for Opening Day.

Mikolas (shoulder) is expected to throw a bullpen session Monday or Tuesday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

EDGE Analysis

Manager Mike Shildt previously said the 32-year-old was slated for a bullpen session Sunday morning, but the right-hander instead took part in a light workout. Mikolas was scratched from a simulated game early last week due to the shoulder issue and has yet to make it back on the mound. He missed the entirety of last season due to flexor tendon surgery, so the team is being cautious early in camp.

Mikolas (shoulder) will throw a bullpen session Sunday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

EDGE Analysis

Mikolas was scratched from a simulated game Monday due to shoulder issues and his progress remains slow. If he checks out fine following the bullpen session, he could be cleared for game action soon thereafter, keeping him in the mix for the Opening Day roster, though the Cardinals are likely to remain cautious with him after he missed all of last season due to flexor tendon surgery. While it's a positive that his current injury woes aren't related to that issue, it's still certainly not good to see a pitcher battling arm troubles so early in camp.

President of baseball operations John Mozeliak revealed Wednesday that Mikolas is dealing with shoulder stiffness, but the issue isn't believed to be a long-term concern, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Mikolas was scratched from a scheduled simulated game appearance Monday, but until this point, the change had been dismissed as unrelated to any health concern. Mozeliak's comments Wednesday naturally cast a different light, although the team executive added the prognosis from team trainers was positive and the hope was the stiffness was "not something that lingers for a week or two." For the time being, Mikolas still appears set for a side session at some point this coming weekend, although those plans are naturally subject to change.

Mikolas, who was scratched from a scheduled simulated game appearance Monday, won't pitch again until a weekend side session, Zachary Silver of MLB.com reports. "I was probably a little early in announcing that he was going to throw in a sim game," manager Mike Shildt said. "We schedule a lot of things, and I mention a lot of times, it's just fluid. Fluid for a lot of different reasons, none of which are overly problematic."

EDGE Analysis

There was some speculation as to whether Mikolas may have suffered a setback with his previously injured flexor tendon when Monday's sim game appearance was nixed, but Shildt explained it was simply part of a strategy to give the veteran right-hander some extra down time between throwing sessions. Mikolas threw to live hitters Thursday, so pushing him back until this coming weekend, when he'll throw a bullpen, will afford him over a week's rest before picking up the ball again.

Mikolas won't pitch in Monday's simulated game as previously scheduled since the Cardinals are showing caution early in camp, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

EDGE Analysis

There was no announcement of any sort of injury, but it's an ominous sign the team is pushing back the outing coming off his first bullpen session of spring training Thursday. Mikolas missed the entirety of 2020 while recovery from surgery on the flexor tendon in his right forearm, so hopefully the Cardinals are simply being overly cautious for his first work against live hitters in camp.

Mikolas threw his first bullpen of camp Thursday, Rob Rains of StLSportsPage.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Mikolas missed all of last season while recovering from surgery on his right flexor tendon, a procedure he underwent in late July. Previous reports indicated the Cardinals expected him to go through a normal spring training, and it appears that he is indeed on track for one so far.