After it was announced yesterday that Carlos Martinez would start the Cardinals spring opener against Miami on Thursday, manager Mike Matheny said Tuesday that lefties Marco Gonzales and Jaime Garcia will get the ball to start the club’s second and third games of the Spring Training Friday and Saturday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Gonzales, who made his debut last June and appeared in ten games throughout the season, will start Friday’s game against the Astros in Jupiter.

Garcia, who’s trying to prove his health following thoracic outlet surgery on his shoulder (which ended Chris Carpenter’s career), will get the ball to begin Saturday’s game against the Washington Nationals in Viera, Florida, in his attempt to show he’s worthy of a rotation spot.

Matheny also announced that Tyler Lyons, who was scheduled to back up Martinez on Thursday, will be bumped back to follow Gonzales on Friday. The Cards skipper emphasized that the change had nothing to do with injury or poor preparation on Lyons’ part. Left-hander Tim Cooney will  now follow Martinez during the team’s first Spring Training game Thursday.

Guaranteed to be in the rotation when the team heads north for the start of the regular season, Lance Lynn, Michael Wacha, and John Lackey will get the next three starts beginning on Sunday.

As for Adam Wainwright, Goold reports that the veteran must first clear fielding and running tests later this week before he can face live batters on the mound. He’s not likely to make a Grapefruit League start until the middle of the month, at least.

Read Goold’s full article from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

 

Featured image used under Creative Commons from Barbara Moore. No changes made. Image License.