Cardinals starting pitcher Shelby Miller, who was forced from Monday's start against the Cubs with a right calf cramp, said his leg was loosening after the game as the medical staff had him drink liquids to hydrate, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Miller said he didn't do "what I needed to to take care of myself," but added he plans to introduce more fluids and electrolytes into his routine before his next start, Saturday against the Rangers.
Even if Miller kept going Monday, he might not have lasted much longer because he threw 83 pitches in five innings. The rookie continues to be frustrated by high pitch counts.
"It’s the mental side of it," Miller said. "I’m trying to go out there and throw strikes and throwing it in there. You start missing spots. You don’t have that fastball life. You don’t have the mentality that you have the rest of the game. It’s something that I need to work on. I see guys like (Adam) Wainwright, Lance (Lynn), and (Jake) Westbrook go out there and just dominate the first inning -- go three up, three down. That’s what you need to do. That’s not on your side when you walk the first guy."