Yadier Molina Injury: Updates on Cardinals Star's Oblique and Return

Updates from Wednesday, Oct. 15 

Jayson Stark of ESPN.com provides an update on Yadier Molina's status:

Updates from Tuesday, Oct. 14

The Cardinals confirmed Yadier Molina's replacement in the lineup for tonight's game:

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#STLCards at San Francisco (NLCS Game 3): Carpenter 3B Jay CF Holliday LF Adams 1B Peralta SS Pierzynski C Wong 2B Grichuk RF Lackey RHP

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) October 14, 2014"

Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com later reported Molina could still be available to play during the game, if needed:

Earlier in the day, CBS Sports' Jon Heyman provided a statement from Molina's agent Melvin Roman discussing his client's injury status:

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He is smart enough to know that if he can't help, he will step aside. But if he can contribute, he will go for it. He will do everything in his power to try to play. You know Yadi, he will try.

"

Updates from Monday, Oct. 13

Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, FOX Sports' Jim Hayes and the Cardinals have the latest on Molina:

CSN Bay Area's Andrew Baggarly had more:

Goold discussed the impact the injury had on Sunday's Game 2:

MLB.com's Jennifer Langosch and Newsday's Marc Carig had more on the pain:

America's Pregame shows how Molina impacts the game for the Cardinals:

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#Cardinals are a much different team without their starting catcher Yadier Molina #NLCS pic.twitter.com/QpWi6lmROo

— America's Pregame (@AmericasPregame) October 13, 2014"

Original Text

The St. Louis Cardinals are already down one game to the San Francisco Giants in what is shaping up to be a thrilling National League Championship Series. After a strange play late in Game 2, they may be down one catcher.

All-Star Yadier Molina left Game 2 with a strained left oblique, according to the Cardinals' official Twitter account:

Molina instantly knew something was wrong after making contact with a pitch and came to a sudden halt:

The team reported that backup catcher Tony Cruz came into the game to replace Molina:

ESPN's Buster Olney talks about how this could impact Molina and the Cardinals moving forward: 

If Molina's injury turns out to be serious, it could be very difficult for St. Louis to overcome.

Eric Gay/Associated Press

Molina was hitting just .211 in the playoffs prior to tonight's contest and notched a single in Game 2, but his value to the team extends well beyond the batter's box. An injured oblique muscle can be very difficult to overcome and can drastically affect a player's swing.

Molina is a six-time Gold Glove and two-time Platinum Glove winner, and one of the savviest catchers in the major leagues. He's been a Cardinal since his major league debut in 2004 and is one of the emotional leaders of this team. The light-hitting Cruz is a solid veteran backup who appeared in 50 games this season, but his presence can't replace all of the intangibles that Molina brings to the table.