The St. Louis Cardinals have assured themselves a spot in the playoffs, but they have some injury concerns heading into October.

Starting pitcher Michael Wacha will undergo an MRI on his right shoulder after leaving Wednesday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in just the second inning.

According to to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Wacha had experienced some discomfort in his shoulder prior to making his scheduled start:

Less than 12 hours after the Cardinals needed 12 innings from the bullpen in a 3-2 loss in 19 innings of a game that ended in the wee hours Wednesday, Wacha had some difficulty loosening his right shoulder during warmups for the game that afternoon. He notified coaches, attempted to free the shoulder while pitching the first inning and eventually had to surrender to tightness in the second inning. He abruptly left the game for an uncertain future.

Wacha had given up two runs on two walks and four hits before departing.

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The 28-year-old has suffered through yet another frustrating season in 2019. In 29 appearances (24 starts), Wacha has posted a 4.76 ERA and 1.563 WHIP, and has been one of the least effective starters on the Cardinals pitching staff all season long.

Although Wacha would likely have been relegated to the bullpen or long relief as the fifth starter in the rotation, he may not have seen much of the mound anyway. Now, his future is especially in doubt.

Wacha will be a free agent after this season.

Though he has shown glimpses of being an effective pitcher at the big-league level, his recent history of injuries and his struggles this season make it more likely that he has pitched his final game in a Cardinals uniform.