Notes: Arenado, relief corps, diplomas

JUPITER, Fla. -- Soon enough, the social media photoshops and fanning out after glimpses of team picture day will be things of the past. Soon, Nolan Arenado will line up at third base in a Cardinals uniform against a different team.

Soon is on Sunday, when St. Louis opens its Grapefruit League action against the Nationals at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.

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Arenado will be one of several regulars slated to make their Spring Training debuts on Sunday, manager Mike Shildt said on Friday. Jack Flaherty -- recently named the Opening Day starter -- is scheduled to start against Washington, with 30-40 pitches at his disposal.

From starter to manager, the organization is excited to get back on the field with an eight-time Gold Glove winner situated at third.

“Everything as advertised,” Shildt said.

That has been the palpable sentiment of the Cards’ early impressions of their brand-new superstar, who arrived to Jupiter a week early to get acquainted with his new teammates, coaches and facility.

Arenado told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he wants to get 50 at-bats under his belt this spring to tighten up the timing of his swing. In concert, Arenado will learn how to play in an infield that is poised to consist of Paul DeJong next to him at short, Tommy Edman at second -- the pair he’ll throw to on double-play opportunities -- and close friend Paul Goldschmidt across the diamond at first.

“Clearly a lot of different skill sets, and they're elite,” Shildt said. “But he's also gone about it, fit right in, and [we've] just really enjoyed him. Being around him and working with him, he's been a real pleasure.”

Health-wise, Arenado feels completely restriction-free after soreness in the A/C joint in his left shoulder sidelined him toward the end of the 2020 season, something he said contributed to his struggles at the plate last year.

Now, however, is the perfect time in a new color -- and a new city -- to start anew.

The Cardinals’ Grapefruit League opener -- an agreed-upon nine-inning affair -- kicks off on Sunday at 12:05 p.m. CT, to be broadcast live on MLB.TV, Fox Sports Midwest and KMOX 1120-AM. Pitching plans for after Flaherty will include John Gant, Génesis Cabrera, Alex Reyes, Thomas Parsons, Connor Jones and Giovanny Gallegos, Shildt said Saturday, meaning two rotation hopefuls -- Gant and Reyes -- will make their spring debuts in tandem. The Nationals will pitch right-hander Erick Fedde to start the action.

In preparation for Sunday …
Arenado and four of his pitching counterparts got their feet wet on the Roger Dean main field on Friday, taking part in live batting practice. Carlos Martínez, Ryan Helsley, Daniel Ponce de Leon and Kwang Hyun Kim faced off against the likes of Arenado, Yadier Molina, Matt Carpenter and others, flanked by the coaching staff and members of the front office as spectators.

And loud moments abounded, as Molina went yard to deep left off Ponce de Leon.

But it was Harrison Bader who stole the show, clanking two balls off the Marlins’ offices in left field -- once off a 97 mph Helsley fastball and later on an 86 mph slider from Kim.

Kim, for his part, pitched through an “up-down,” simulating the actions of pitching two half-innings and sitting on the bench in between as the Cards let him take time back to a full workload.

Celebration in the DR
Four current players in the Cardinals’ organization and four former members had cause for celebration on Thursday, as all eight received their high school diplomas -- this year via a virtual ceremony.

The four current players at the club’s Dominican Republic academy -- right-handers Augusto Calderon, Leonardo Taveras, Luis Tena and Enmanuel Solano -- were joined by Carlos Soler, Yowelfy Rosario, Cristoffer Zapata and Saniel Santana in receiving their diplomas through the RBI Sports Academy program, along with members of nine other National League teams.

“After a very difficult year, we are very happy to see our current and former players achieve their goal of receiving their high school diplomas,” said Luis Morales, the Cardinals’ director of international operations. “Ownership’s commitment has been crucial for the success of our educational program, and the work of our staff at the academy, especially our operations assistant Esmeralda Hernandez, has been tremendous.”