If Perez can get his slider going like last night and then we can move Wainright into a starting spot we may just have something this year....
Adam Wainwright will begin his rehab assignment a day earlier than originally planned to prepare for the possibility he'll return to the majors as the Cardinals' closer.
Wainwright will start Friday night for the Cardinals' Class AAA affiliate in lMemphis, and his rehab will be tailored for a relief pitcher — lower pitch counts, shorter and more frequent appearances. The decision to have Wainwright get ready to be a reliever dovetails with the promotion of rookie Chris Perez and a meeting Cardinals brass held Wednesday to address their ninth-inning emergency
Wainwright had been set to start Saturday's game for Memphis before his schedule changed.
"We moved him up since he's probably going to come back as a reliever," general manager John Mozeliak said. "It's not set. There's a chance before he comes back that we have a solution and it's not a need. Then he'll come back as a starter. We want to be prepared. Right now, everything is on the table."