SAN FRANCISCO -- After contemplating bringing Adam Wainwright back to the rotation early next week -- and being heavily lobbied by the veteran right-hander to do so -- the Cardinals announced on Thursday that his 2023 MLB debut will be pushed back a few additional days.

Wainwright, who has been out since straining his groin on March 21 while working out before the World Baseball Classic championship game, will make his third Minor League rehab start on Sunday with Triple-A Memphis, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. Wainwright, who pitched twice with Double-A Springfield, will start Sunday in Durham, N.C., and will likely throw approximately 90 pitches.

After that, he is expected to join the Cardinals for his much-awaited debut of the 2023 season. When asked if Wainwright had been pushing him to return to the Cardinals sooner, Marmol said, “Always!”

Wainwright threw 74 pitches -- 52 for strikes -- on Tuesday with Springfield. He gave up seven hits and three earned runs while striking out one over 4 1/3 innings. The Cardinals were pleased to see that the velocities on Wainwright’s four-seam fastball and his cutter topped out at 88-89 mph.

“Stuff-wise, it’s what we needed to see as far as what his pitches are doing and his [velocity] is consistent with what we expected it to be,” Marmol said prior to Thursday’s series finale win over the Giants. “In talking with Adam after, he felt really good about his outing. So yeah, it’s positive.”

Had the Cardinals brought Wainwright back to the big leagues early next week, they might have skipped a start for struggling left-hander Steven Matz. That was a consideration by the team after Matz’s record fell to 0-3 with a 6.23 ERA when he lasted just four innings on Wednesday against the Giants. He allowed just two earned runs but saw his pitch count soar while having to work around six hits and three walks. Matz allowed his fourth two-strike home run, tying him with several others for the most surrendered in MLB in 2023. Matz expressed his frustration over his short outing late Wednesday night.

“Extremely disappointing because I told myself going in the game that I wanted to go at least seven [innings on Wednesday], and I felt like I was right there and then I took a step back,” said Matz, who was hoping to use 2023 as a big bounce-back season after seeing his '22 being marred by shoulder and knee injuries. “I’m definitely going to have to address some things and I’m not thrilled about that.”