The St. Louis Cardinals are ready to rebound from their poor 2023 season. Pitching is a big need for development, which the team addressed with the additions of staff ace Sonny Grey, Lance Lynn, and Kyle Gibson. Unfortunately, Grey will not be ready when the season begins.

According to Katie Woo of The Athletic, Cardinals manager Oli Marmol has stated that Grey, who is recovering from a hamstring injury during Spring Training, will not be ready for Opening Day. Grey might, however, escape an IL stint by pitching during the season’s first road trip.

Sonny Grey agreed to a contract with the Cardinals worth $75 million over three years. He was an All-Star with the Minnesota Twins in 2023, pitching 184.0 innings with a 2.79 ERA. The three-time All-Star is practicing on the mound as the season approaches, but The Cardinals still have established stars in Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, and Willson Contreras, as well as promising young players such as Jordan Walker, Nolan Gorman, Brendan Donovan, Lars Nootbaar, and Masyn Winn.

However, their pitching staff need an overhaul after moving Jordan Montgomery and Jack Flaherty and losing Adam Wainwright to retirement. Grey, at the very least, should considerably benefit the red birds once he is healthy. However, the lineup and defence will have to take the strain.

According to Woo, Marmol stated that Miles Mikolas will start on Opening Day. The Cardinals will take on the Los Angeles Dodgers, a baseball superteam. While St. Louis is overmatched, Mikolas’ comments about the Dodgers’ excessive spending on player contracts should add a little something.