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Adam Wainwright sharp in return from Tommy John surgery

Adam Wainwright

St. Louis Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright delivers to Minnesota Twins’ Ben Revere during the first inning of a spring training baseball game in Fort Myers, Fla., Friday, March 9, 2012. Wainwright was pitching in his first start since reconstructive elbow surgery last year and gave up no runs, no hits and struck out two in his two-inning outing. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

AP

Making his spring debut after missing all of 2011, Adam Wainwright pitched two hitless innings against the Twins on Friday.

Wainwright was consistently in the low-90s in the outing, showing the same velocity he did prior to his Tommy John surgery last spring. He wasn’t perfect with his command, throwing 14 of his 30 pitches for balls, but he didn’t need to be against a Twins offense that also missed 2011 and still appears absent now.

The Cardinals have already announced that Wainwright’s next start has been moved up, as he’ll pitch on three days’ rest instead of the usual four. It sounds as if the ailing Chris Carpenter will be backed off his scheduled Opening Day assignment, leaving Wainwright and Jaime Garcia as the first two starters in the rotation.