PITTSBURGH -- Kwang Hyun Kim has been fully thrust into the role of swingman this season in that he has swung from starter to reliever ... and now back to starter.

That was the plan manager Mike Shildt revealed prior to Thursday’s series opener against the Pirates, tabbing Kim for Sunday’s series finale as the left-hander takes Jack Flaherty’s spot in the rotation.

Kim, who had been sent to the bullpen after a bout with left elbow inflammation, is not built up to a full starter’s workload; Shildt was only willing to go so far as to say he’s at more than 60 pitches. Kim threw 46 pitches across 2 2/3 hitless frames in relief of Flaherty’s injury-stunted start Tuesday. The Cardinals are exercising the utmost caution with Flaherty’s right shoulder strain, but the calendar might phase him out of a return this season, opening the door for Kim to reclaim his old spot.

St. Louis, which was primed to feature seven healthy starters if Wade LeBlanc returned in a timely fashion, is now back to just five, albeit with Kim temporarily operating just under the level of what a traditional starter might possess.

“We thought we had seven. Everybody's wondering about it,” Shildt said, “and we had about a day.”

Also unfortunate for the Cardinals is that LeBlanc had a setback in his own recovery from elbow inflammation. He threw a bullpen session at Busch Stadium on Tuesday, but he has not recovered well, Shildt said. St. Louis is evaluating his outlook for the remainder of the season, but Shildt cast doubt on his chances to return.

So now Kim returns to a place he’s found comfort, pitching to a 3.36 ERA as a starter this year. The club has wanted to see him get deeper into games, which squeezed him out of the rotation when he returned from his injury. He will now hope he can do so as he builds back up to a full workload at the Major League level.

Asked if he foresees the Cardinals riding Adam Wainwright, Miles Mikolas, J.A. Happ, Jon Lester and Kim for the rest of the season, Shildt said, “I hope we don't have a need for another starter.”

Assuming Flaherty does not recover in time for the end of the season, and with the returns of LeBlanc and Carlos Martínez unlikely, the Cardinals likely don’t even have other choices to choose from. Dakota Hudson (Tommy John surgery) is on the precipice of a rehab stint, but he would only return to the Majors in a bullpen role.

Asked on Wednesday if a callup from Triple-A -- à la Matthew Liberatore, the club's No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline -- might be needed, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said he believes that the Cardinals have the innings covered on their current roster as they try to stay alive in the chase for the second National League Wild Card spot.

First-round pick’s pro career begins

Right-hander Michael McGreevy, the Cardinals' first-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, has been elevated to his first Minor League affiliate. The club’s No. 6 prospect will start with Low-A Palm Beach, where he joins a slew of other recent draftees after easing into action with the Gulf Coast League club.

As for Joshua Baez, the Cardinals' second-round pick -- who is ranked as their No. 5 prospect -- he’s still with the GCL Cardinals, taking a more gradual approach into professional action as just an 18-year-old.

Worth noting

• With Ryan Helsley (right elbow stress reaction, arthroscopic surgery on his left knee) out for the season, Shildt pointed to Giovanny Gallegos, Génesis Cabrera and Andrew Miller as candidates to take over his "Houdini" role. Helsley had allowed just 13 percent of his inherited runners to score -- the best mark in the Majors (minimum 30 inherited runners).

• The Cardinals entered Thursday with a 10-game winning streak at PNC Park, tied for the second most by any team in the scenic yard’s history. It’s also the second-longest active streak by any MLB team in a visiting ballpark, behind Oakland’s streak in Detroit. Shildt is 20-3 at PNC Park since taking over managerial duties in the second half of 2018.