Still ill, Martinez exits early; next start at risk

ST. LOUIS — The same illness Carlos Martinez pitched through with relative success earlier this week knocked him out on Friday night and could put his next scheduled outing in jeopardy if the weakness persists.

Still fighting a respiratory illness that has swept through the Cardinals’ clubhouse, Martinez ran out of energy in the fourth inning of an eventual 4-2 loss to the Pirates. The cough he hasn’t been able to kick for about 10 days persisted, and the lingering effects of significant weight loss caused him to tire.

“I kind of felt the fastball isn’t there, and I felt a little dehydrated and stuff like that,” said Martinez, using teammate Brayan Pena as a translator. “When the game was going on and on and on, I felt weaker.”

Martinez revealed that he did not do his normal weight-room strength training ahead of this start, and he estimated that he’s dropped as much as 15 pounds since first getting ill. However, manager Mike Matheny said the club had no reservations sending him to the mound as scheduled, nor did the illness keep Martinez from participating in a local Cinco de Mayo celebration or attending the St. Louis Blues’ playoff hockey game with teammates the night before his …

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