Per ESPN’s Mark Saxon, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny has announced that Adam Wainwright will start for the Cardinals on Opening Day, barring a setback. Matheny said, “I mean, he’s our guy.”
Wainwright, 34, suffered a torn Achilles in late April last season, forcing him to miss five months. He returned on September 30 and made three one-inning appearances out of the bullpen, allowing one run on two hits and a walk with two strikeouts.
The news doesn’t come as any surprise, as Wainwright has been with the Cardinals since 2004 and has been a significant factor in their success over the past decade. With 1,569 2/3 innings under his belt over his career, Wainwright owns a 2.98 ERA with 1,326 strikeouts and 390 walks. This will be Wainwright’s fifth career Opening Day start and his fourth consecutive.
The Cardinals bolstered their rotation this offseason, adding Mike Leake on a five-year, $80 million deal. He joins Jaime Garcia, Michael Wacha, and Carlos Martinez behind Wainwright.