The Cardinals started the season without their biggest offseason signing, as staff ace Sonny Gray opened the 2024 campaign on the shelf due to a hamstring strain.
The right-hander was scheduled for a final rehab start this past week before returning to big-league action, but those plans were dashed by an unfortunate rainout that kept Gray from taking the mound.
The club initially announced that Gray would have his Triple-A start pushed back to this coming Tuesday, but manager Oliver Marmol revealed to reporters (including The Athletic’s Katie Woo) Sunday that Gray’s start that day will be for the big-league club.
Per Marmol, Gray will be limited to around 65 pitches in his Cardinals debut, where he’ll take on the Phillies in the second game of a three-game set between the clubs.
Gray landed in St. Louis back in November on a three-year, $75M deal following a dominant 2023 season in Minnesota. The right-hander posted a 2.79 ERA with an MLB-best 2.83 FIP for the Twins last year in a performance that earned him his third career All-Star appearance and a second-place finish in AL Cy Young Award voting behind Yankees ace Gerrit Cole.
The Cardinals are surely hoping Gray will bring that same form to St. Louis. The club was plagued by one of the worst starting pitching staffs in the majors last year, and the early returns haven’t been much better so far with the rotation’s 5.64 FIP in the young 2024 campaign being better than only the Rockies and Blue Jays among all big-league clubs.
Upon his return, Gray figures to replace struggling youngster Zack Thompson in the club’s rotation mix, slotting in alongside fellow veterans Miles Mikolas, Steven Matz, Kyle Gibson, and Lance Lynn.
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