Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright reveals wife, all five kids had COVID-19

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright was back on the mound Monday night against the New York Mets after being placed on the COVID-19 injured list last week.

Although Wainwright is fully vaccinated and did not test positive for the coronavirus, he had been out since April 29 to care for his wife Jenny and five children who all contracted COVID-19. 

“We got back from the road, and I went straight to a hotel because my whole crew had it, and my wife, she texted me at one point and said I can’t go anymore without you being here," Wainwright said after Monday's game.

"So I had to. That’s why I had to go home, and when my wife says that, she’s a tough lady, she’s a really tough girl, and so when she said that, I knew I had to go home."

Wainwright pitches against the Mets on Monday. (Photo: Jeff Curry, USA TODAY Sports)

Wainwright said each family member is now doing better.

And because Wainwright has been vaccinated, he was allowed to return to the team Monday. 

"I'm really glad I got the vaccine," Wainwright said, "Otherwise, I would have had to make a choice. I'm either going home, which I would have done, and probably going to miss a minimum two weeks, probably three or four. Or now I can go home and be with them and help be a dad."

Manager Mike Shildt respected Wainwright's decision to sit out. 

"Family first, man, went to take care of his family," Shildt said. "A lot of respect for that guy, and he was clear, [there] wasn't any second guessing about it, 'I've got to go home and be a good dad and good husband, be strong for my family,' It's the right thing to do."

"There's a reason why he won the Roberto Clemente Award."

Wainwright pitched into the sixth inning and got the win on Monday, his first victory of the season.

Contact Analis Bailey at [email protected] or on Twitter @analisbailey.

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