St. Louis Cardinals' $17,500,000 pitcher Adam Wainwright feeling better after two-week shutdown: "I should have done it a month ago"

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright is feeling better two weeks into his shutdown. The one-time Cardinals ace, in his final MLB season, was placed on the injured list on July 4 with shoulder discomfort.

He told MLB.com staff writer John Denton that he regrets not shutting things down sooner.

"I should have done it a month ago, but how do you know?" Wainwright said. "It's hard to know when you're hurt or hurting. Every time I thought I was trending in the right direction. … . At least I'll have a couple months to finish strong."

Tweet from @JohnDenton555

Adam Wainwright has received multiple injections in his sort right shoulder to treat soreness and stiffness as he looks to return to the St. Louis Cardinals and pitch the final couple months of his MLB career.

According to Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Wainwright was scheduled to begin throwing off of a mound on Tuesday.

Adam Wainwright announced last offseason that the 2023 campaign would be his final as a major leaguer. He opened the season on the IL and has been awful in his 11 starts.

He owns a 3-4 record and a 7.66 ERA with a 1.99 WHIP. Both his ERA and WHIP are the worst of his 18-year career with the St. Louis Cardinals other than a 13.50 ERA in two games during his MLB debut season in 2005. He has an ERA approaching 20.00 in his past three games, including giving up seven earned runs in three innings during a 9-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs in London on June 24.

It's been a rough season from the start for Adam Wainwright, who signed a one-year, $17.5 million contract with the St. Louis Cardinals to finish out his career with one last go-around.

Wainwright missed the first month of the season after suffering a groin injury while lifting weights on an off-day after pitching for Team USA in March's World Baseball Classic.

Adam Wainwright has been a rock for St. Louis Cardinals

Adam Wainwright of the St. Louis Cardinals throws against the Boston Red Sox.

Wainwright was taken by the Atlanta Braves with the 29th pick of the 2000 MLB draft. However, while still a minor leaguer, he was dealt to the Cardinals in a multi-player deal in 2003.

In his time in St. Louis, Wainwright has won two Gold Gloves, led the league in wins twice, started 30 games or more 10 times in 18 seasons, and was a part of the Cardinals' 2006 World Series-winning team.