Matz on the mark; confidence key for Gorman

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- With Jack Flaherty starting the regular season on the injured list after needing a platelet-rich plasma injection in his shoulder to calm inflammation, the Cardinals will be looking to entrenched starters Adam Wainwright, Miles Mikolas, Dakota Hudson and Steven Matz to carry the load and work innings.

Matz, who signed a free-agent deal with the Cardinals in the fall, looked ready for such an assignment with two strong innings on Monday in West Palm Beach in a 7-3 win over the Nationals, allowing two hits and striking out a pair of batters. His biggest pitch of the night -- a big, sweeping curveball -- not only broke Josh Bell’s bat, but led to an inning-ending double play.

“There’s always room for improvement, but I felt good locating the fastball and locating the changeup is huge for me,” said Matz, who threw 28 pitches -- 21 for strikes. “Moving it in and out and moving [his changeup] from strike to ball and getting swings and misses, that’s huge for me.”

Upon signing with the Cardinals, Matz admitted that pitching to potential Hall of Fame catcher Yadier Molina was a big draw for him. Matz marveled at the reception the highly respected Molina received from teammates when he reported to Spring Training a week late after dealing with a personal matter in Puerto Rico.

“Some of us mentioned, ‘It kind of turned a house into a home when he arrived,’” Matz said, echoing a line that non-roster pitcher James Naile said of Molina's reception on Monday.

No lack of confidence for Gorman
The Cardinals are still figuring out exactly what they have in converted second baseman Nolan Gorman, but manager Oliver Marmol likes what he’s seen so far from the organization's No. 1 prospect, per MLB Pipeline.

Gorman, who hit 25 home runs and collected 75 RBIs at Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis last season, started the Cardinals' third spring contest on Monday at second base. A third baseman much of his baseball life, Gorman made the switch to second last season in the hope of speeding up his path to the Major Leagues. The Cardinals are in desperate need of left-handed bats in their lineup, especially ones with as much pop as Gorman might present.

Gorman, who worked throughout January and February with Cardinals infield instructor José Oquendo, is eager to get to the Major Leagues any way he can, and one option might be as a designated hitter. Gorman has insisted, however, that he would prefer to make it to St. Louis as a defensively sound second baseman. That mindset, Marmol said, speaks to the serious nature of the 21-year-old.

“Very competitive, and there’s a sense of confidence about him that’s attractive,” Marmol said of Gorman, who had a first-inning single and another single in the seventh when he hit the ball to the left side to beat the Nationals’ shift. “He carries himself as if he belongs and he doesn’t get scared. Those are all things you want to see with young guys who come up. He truly believes he can walk into our clubhouse and have an impact on our team, and I love that confidence.”

Woodford to take the fifth?
Jake Woodford, one of the candidates for the Cardinals' No. 5 starter job, has yet to pitch this spring, but his debut could come as soon as Tuesday, albeit in relief.

Dakota Hudson, who finished last season on a strong note after recovering from Tommy John surgery, is scheduled to start on Tuesday at Roger Dean Stadium against the Marlins. Adam Wainwright, who pitched in Friday’s Spring Training opener, is scheduled to start on Wednesday against the Astros. Marmol has said the pitchers who are the deepest along in their conditioning and arm strength schedules would throw the soonest in Spring Training.

Woodford, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound right-hander from Tampa, Fla., could be used behind Hudson on Tuesday and stretched out for multiple innings. The 39th pick of the 2015 MLB Draft pitched well down the stretch in 2021, going 1-0 with a 1.90 ERA over five games (four starts) in September. For the season, Woodford was 3-4 with a 3.99 ERA in 26 games (eight starts).

The Cardinals’ fifth starter will likely come from a grouping of Johan Oviedo, Drew VerHagen, Aaron Brooks, rookie Matthew Liberatore and Woodford. Liberatore, a 6-foot-4 left-hander, is the organization's No. 2 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. He was 9-9 at Triple-A Memphis last season and pitched well in the MLB Futures Game and for Team USA in the leadup to the Olympics.