Cards' Wainwright may be out for season

St. Louis Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright is getting a second opinion on his injured right elbow, which the team fears will require reconstructive surgery.

Team spokesman Brian Bartow said last night that results of MRIs and other tests were being examined by Dr. Lewis Yocum in Los Angeles. The team anticipated a news conference today to disclose findings.

Wainwright, a 20-game winner and runner-up for the NL Cy Young Award last year, was sent back to St. Louis for tests and consultation with team physician George Paletta. Earlier in the day, general manager John Mozeliak said "things do not look encouraging" for the righthander, who injured his elbow while throwing batting practice Monday.

Mozeliak stopped short of saying Wainwright would need season-ending Tommy John surgery.

"I don't want to speculate, but obviously ligament damage, that's usually what it results in," he said.

Bartow said Mozeliak remained pessimistic after the decision to seek a second opinion.

Wainwright, 29, began feeling soreness Monday. Trainers examined him Tuesday and Wainwright later flew back to St. Louis to meet with team doctors.

"It appears to not be good," manager Tony La Russa said. "We'll see, though." The news comes one day after the Cardinals learned utility infielder Nick Punto will miss eight to 12 weeks because of a sports hernia that will require surgery.

Umpires retire

Major League Baseball says Jerry Crawford, Mike Reilly and Chuck Meriwether are retiring, the second straight year a significant number of veteran umpires are leaving work. Crawford, head of the former umpires' union, joined the major-league staff in 1977 and had been the senior umpire since Ed Montague retired last year after 34 seasons. Crawford worked the World Series in 1988, 1992, 1998, 2000 and 2002.

- AP