PHOENIX • Infielder Alex Mejia, a star for the 2012 NCAA champion Arizona Wildcats, will make his first big-league appearance in the state Thursday when he starts at second base for the Cardinals against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Mejia was purchased from Class AAA Memphis on Wednesday.
Manager Mike Matheny is giving a couple of regulars the day off. Yadier Molina will yield to Eric Fryer, who will catch Lance Lynn. Outfielder Tommy Pham also will sit as Randal Grichuk moves into center and Jose Martinez takes over in left.
Mejia, whose parents and wife have made the trip eastward on I-10 from southern California, has made only two starts at second base this season but played there often last year when he was at Class AA Springfield and Paul DeJong, the Cardinals’ new starting shortstop, also was at Springfield.