The Cardinals hope to forge a split as they wrap up a season-opening four-game road series Sunday against the Dodgers. First pitch is set for 6:10 p.m. St. Louis time.
The game airs exclusively on ESPN.
Left-hander Steven Matz will take the mound for the Cardinals. He's struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness in his two years in St. Louis. A lat strain ended his season in August last year.
The Cardinals have taken a cautious approach with Matz this spring, a tactic they hope pays off with improved health and effectiveness.
In spring training, Matz put up an 8.16 ERA in five outings, four of them starts. He struggled last season with his changeup, his second-most-used pitch, allowing a .291 batting average on it, far better than the .200 batters hit off the change the prior year.
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The Dodgers will counter with 25-year-old rookie right-hander Gavin Stone, who got off to a rough big-league start last season. One of the Dodgers' top pitching prospects, Stone is most known for his changeup.
Stone is serving as the team's fifth starter as Walker Buehler works toward his return from Tommy John Surgery.
The Cardinals are hitting .152 through Saturday's games, the lowest average in baseball. Their .416 OPS is also an MLB-worst.
The Cardinals held on in extras late Saturday in a game full of oddities to secure their first win of the season despite being outhit 14-6.
Lineups
CARDINALS
1. Brendan Donovan, LF
2. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
3. Nolan Gorman, 2B
4. Nolan Arenado, 3B
5. Willson Contreras, C
6. Alec Burleson, DH
7. Jordan Walker, RF
8. Victor Scott II, CF
9. Masyn Winn, SS
P: Steven Matz, LHP
DODGERS
1. Mookie Betts, 2B
2. Shohei Ohtani, DH
3. Freddie Freeman, 1B
4. Teoscar Hernández, RF
5. Chris Taylor, LF
6. Enrique Hernández, 3B
7. James Outman, CF
8. Miguel Rojas, SS
9. Austin Barnes, C
P: Gavin Stone, RHP
Injury report
Riley O'Brien (flexor tendon): Placed on the 15-day injured list Sunday morning, O'Brien's right arm tightened up Friday and did not soothe over the weekend, prompting the team to return him to St. Louis for additional exam. He pitched an inning opening night at Dodger Stadium, but a day later felt discomfort and tightness in an area of significant concern for a pitcher. The Cardinals initial diagnosis is strain of the flexor tendon, and he will undergo exams and imaging to determine if there is sinister reason radiating for his elbow for the pain.
Sonny Gray (hamstring): On the 15-day injured list, Gray will start his rehab assignment with Class AAA Memphis on Wednesday in Indianapolis in his first rehab assignment appearance, and his next outing after that could be in the majors. Gray will aim for around 50 to 55 pitches Wednesday. Gray threw the equivalent of three innings in a live batting practice session Friday in Jupiter, Florida. Gray injured his hamstring in the first week of March. He is expected to join the rotation during the first home stand.
Lars Nootbaar (fractured ribs): On the 10-day IL, Nootbaar will join Class AAA Memphis in Indianapolis and start Tuesday for the Redbirds on his first official rehab assignment appearance. Nootbaar had eight at-bats during live batting practice Friday and he was able to test how his ribs felt when he had some game-speed swings and misses. He will play four innings and take four at-bats Saturday in minor-league game. The next step for him is likely to be a minor-league rehab assignment with an advanced affiliate. The Cardinals will determine his readiness to join the team for the first home series of the season based on his feel at the plate and his comfort taking game-speed swings and rotation of his torso. Nootbaar injured the ribs during a crash into the wall midway through spring training.
Dylan Carlson (sprained shoulder): On 10-day IL, Carlson returned to St. Louis and received a platelet-rich plasma injection to encourage healing in his separated shoulder. Carlson returned to St. Louis to undergo exams and had multiple opinions to determine the severity of his separated shoulder. He is expected to miss between four and six weeks. During Monday’s exhibition game against the Cubs, Carlson sustained an AC joint sprain during a collision with teammate Jordan Walker. The Cardinals were initially encouraged that he’ll miss “a matter of weeks, not months.”
Keynan Middleton (forearm strain): On the 15-day IL, Middleton has continued a throwing program that will put him off the mound around April 5. He is building strength after having to stop throwing late in spring training. He’ll have some bullpen sessions before advancing to a live batting practice with minor-leaguers in Jupiter. Within a week of testing his arm against hitters, he could be on a rehab assignment and headed toward the majors.
Tommy Edman (wrist surgery): On the 10-day IL, returned to St. Louis to shift his rehab to a strengthening program before he makes another attempt to resume baseball activities. He will strengthen the area around the wrist before attempting swings. He will have an MRI on April 3 to determine if he can begin swinging that day. The switch-hitting utility fielder has had his program slowed significantly after several setbacks during spring training. Edman had wrist surgery in October, but during spring training was unable to get deep into the hitting program because of recurring discomfort in the surgically repaired left wrist. The Cardinals do not believe that his absence will be 60 days into the season, as evidenced by them not placing him on the 60-day IL to start the year.
Drew Rom (biceps tendinitis): On the 15-day IL, Rom experienced the soreness in his left arm shortly before the end of spring training. He was able to resume playing catch and throwing at a distance before the team left Florida. He’ll be on a throwing program to rebuild arm strength and ready for a likely assignment to Class AAA Memphis’ rotation.