WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.—Adam Wainwright will hit for the first time this spring—he will get two other chances to do so—even though Wednesday night’s Cardinals exhibition game is in an American League setting here against the Houston Astros.
But manager Mike Shildt has pledged to his pitchers that they will get to bat in three starts before the regular season starts on April 1 and this will be the first of Wainwright’s three starts before that time. Shildt had told Wainwright he would hit in his previous start but changed his mind, prompting Wainwright to say he wanted to play center field the next day and get some at-bats.