By Rob Rains
Even though he did not hit any of the three home runs in the Cardinals’ exhibition game against the Springfield Cardinals on Monday night, the star of the day was JJ Wetherholt.
The Cardinals’ top prospect was informed on Monday that he has made the team’s opening day roster and will make his major-league debut on Thursday against Tampa Bay at Busch Stadium.
Wetherholt was hitless in two at-bats in the game in Springfield and was hitting leadoff, a spot he might well occupy on Thursday. He will wear uniform number 26.
Alec Burleson hit a two-run homer in the first inning and minor-leaguer Trey Paige, playing for the Cardinals, broke a 2-2 tie with a homer in the eighth off Ryan Fernandez that gave the Cardinals a 3-2 victory.
Bryan Torres hit a two-run homer for Springfield off Riley O’Brien.
Dustin May worked four scoreless innings for the Cardinals, did not walk a batter and struck out four.
Even though the game was billed as the Cardinals against the Double A farm team, most of the opponents will open the season with Triple A Memphis, which plays its first game of the year on Friday. There is still over a week before the Springfield Cardinals will play their first game and many of the players who will be on that roster are still in Florida.
Outfielder Nelson Velazquez, who had a big spring training with the Cardinals, was informed on Monday that he did not make the major-league club and will open the season in Memphis. He had been in camp on a non-roster invitation and led the team with four homers and 10 RBIs.
The final three spots on the Cardinals roster will be Nathan Church, Thomas Saggese and Jose Fermin, even though the team has not officially announced those moves.
The team will have to make a roster move to open a spot on the 40-man roster for Wetherholt, perhaps putting Lars Nootbaar on the 60-day injured list, which would keep him out until late May. The Cardinals have until before the game on Thursday to make that decision.
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