ST. LOUIS – Only one more exhibition game separates the St. Louis Cardinals from a new baseball season. Final roster preparations are underway as the team opens the 2024 regular season on Thursday.

Initial plans for the starting rotation are set. The Opening Day lineup still remains to be determined, but based on recent spring games, fans should have a pretty good idea of who will fill it, and to some degree, where certain starters will hit and field.

Starting Rotation

Miles Mikolas will take the mound Thursday on Opening Day against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the first of eight games played on eight consecutive days.

These are the initial starting rotation plans from the March 28 season opener to the April 4 homer opener…

• Thursday, March 28 @ Dodgers: Miles Mikolas

• Friday, March 29 @ Dodgers: Zack Thompson

• Saturday, March 30 @ Dodgers: Lance Lynn

• Sunday, March 31 @ Dodgers: Steven Matz

• Monday, April 1 @ San Diego Padres: Kyle Gibson

• Tuesday, April 2 @ Padres: Mikolas

• Wednesday, April 3 @ Padres: Thompson

• Thursday, April 4 vs. Miami Marlins: Lynn

The Cardinals will open the season alternating right-handed and left-handed starting pitchers in between starts through their first five games. Mikolas was an easy choice to start Opening Day after prized offseason signing Sonny Gray went down with a hamstring strain.

Gray, the AL Cy Young runner-up last year, suffered the strain roughly three weeks ago and could slot back into the starting rotation in April. He is currently scheduled to appear in a minor-league game on Thursday as he works to rehab from his injury.

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Lynn and Gibson had tough springs (7.90 and 10.80 ERAs respectively), but the Cardinals are counting on both to be innings eaters. Thompson, a former first-round pick, made a strong impression (2.81 ERA over 16 innings) and could push for more starts or a swingman role upon Gray’s return.

Starting Lineup

The Cardinals have rolled out these starting lineups for Monday’s and Tuesday’s spring games against the Chicago Cubs that should give a strong idea of what to potentially expect on Opening Day.

WHAT WE KNOW

The first five in both batting orders seem pretty consistent with what the Cardinals have been using throughout recent weeks. Nolan Gorman has been hitting between Goldschmidt and Arenado more times than not, a trend that also became more common last year.

Goldschmidt, Arenado and Contreras are established veterans at their positions and will not field elsewhere on Opening Day. Jordan Walker and Masyn Winn, after their MLB debuts last year, are gearing up to take on right field and shortstop regularly this season.

The Cardinals envision a path with both Donovan and Gorman in their regular lineups. Gorman has almost exclusively covered second base since his 2022 debut. Donovan can play several positions, though early-season injuries to Tommy Edman and Lars Nootbaar, however, will likely force St. Louis to play him in the corner outfield.

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Cardinals (Seasonal)

WHAT REMAINS TO BE DETERMINED

Dylan Carlson was projected to be the starting centerfielder on Opening Day due to Edman’s and Nootbaar’s injuries, though he may be dealing with one of his own. Carlson collided with Jordan Walker on a fly ball chase Monday and suffered some apparent shoulder discomfort. The Cardinals have not yet disclosed if he’ll be ready come Thursday.

Michael Siani is really the only other eligible option with experience in centerfield, unless the Cardinals break course with previous plans to send Victor Scott II to minor league camp and add him to the Opening Day roster.

The bottom half of the starting order, at least for Opening Day, remains with some question marks. Walker and Winn will almost certainly be part of it, though their exact spots are unknown. The other two spots, presumably one OF and one DH spot, will depend on Carlson’s health over the next several days.

Alec Burleson, who led the Cardinals in spring hits and was one of few to play 20 spring games, could settle into a DH or LF role, though it’s unclear how often the Cardinals plan to start him in the early going.

Ivan Herrera will mostly backup Willson Contreras at catcher, but could earn some starts at DH. Matt Carpenter is also a candidate for potential DH starts for pitcher matchups that seem optimal.

First pitch for Opening Day: 3:10 p.m. CT @ the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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