Injury forces Cardinals to shake up lineup, go without Willson Contreras

The St. Louis Cardinals will have to adjust their lineup in the second game of the season, going without their prize free-agent acquisition Willson Contreras due to a bruised right knee. In his place will be long-time backup Andrew Knizner, who filled in for Contreras after exiting the game in the eighth inning Thursday. Knizner will bat eighth in the lineup.

With Contreras out, Taylor Motter tried on some pads, borrowed one of Contreras’ mitts, and went out to work in the bullpen to be the team’s emergency backup. Brendan Donovan could also be used at catcher.

After an excellent spring training, Motter, a journeyman infielder, won a spot on the opening day lineup to be a backup infielder while Paul DeJong recovers from an injury. While Motter is defensively versatile, having played nearly every position, he has never played catcher in a major or minor league game.

Left-fielder Alec Burleson will make his season debut and hit second in the order. Lars Nootbaar, who started in left field Thursday became unavailable due to a jammed thumb he sustained sliding into a base on opening day. Burleson, a 2020 second-round pick appeared in 16 games last season for the Cardinals with a .188 batting average but was one of the best hitters in the minor leagues in 2022 with a .331 average and 20 home runs for the AAA Memphis Redbirds.

Fellow 2020 draft pick Jordan Walker, who collected his first major league hit in Thursday’s opener, remains in the starting lineup and will hit seventh.

3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B

RHP Jack Flaherty: Making his season debut, Jack Flaherty looks to regain the form he once showed. To celebrate the occasion, he published a hype video on Twitter likening himself to the Batman comics character Joker.  

RHP Kevin Gausman: The 2021 NL All-Star has historically struggled against St. Louis, going just 1-4 with an ERA over 4 against Cardinals in nine appearances. Last season, Gausman used his signature pitch, the splitter, to rack up 205 strikeouts in 174 innings. 

• Tyler O’Neill tied an MLB record Thursday, hitting a home run in his fourth straight opening day. The mark ties Yogi Berra, Gary Carter and Todd Hundley. 

• Willson Contreras (knee) exited opening day with a knee contusion after being hit with a 103 mph sinker from relief pitcher Jordan Hicks. He received X-rays and an MRI, and is listed as day-to-day. Contreras expressed optimism about playing Sunday, and could potentially pinch hit today. Updated April 1
• Lars Nootbaar (thumb) is unavailable due to a jammed left thumb he sustained sliding into third base in Thursday’s opener. He was not comfortable taking swings Friday when testing out the soreness thumb. He is optimistic a return to play could come Sunday. Updated April 1
• Giovanni Gallegos (back) was unavailable on Thursday due to lower back stiffness he experienced during a workout Wednesday that was exacerbated during pregame warmup. The right-handed reliever will test how he feels pregame. If the right-hander is unable to make progress toward being available Sunday, the Cardinals will consider a roster move for the week. Updated April 1
• Adam Wainwright (groin) has begun throwing to keep his arm active. He threw at about 120 feet and did some flat ground work before Sunday’s game. The Cardinals are still formulating a plan for his return to action in the major leagues; Marmol says a rehab assignment in the minors is a possibility. Updated April 1.
• Paul DeJong (back stiffness) remains in Jupiter, Fla., rehabbing his back. He will not be with the club for opening day festivities. DeJong has been hitting and taking groundballs, gradually increasing his baseball activities. At the start of the coming week, the Cardinals will determine if he is game-ready, and he could begin play with extended spring teams on the complex. Updated March 30.
• Wilking Rodriguez (shoulder) has started light throwing. The Cardinals want to see how his arm responds to intensifying work before determining when and where he’ll resume work off the mound. Updated March 30.

Sunday vs. Toronto: LHP Jordan Montgomery vs. RHP Chris Bassitt.

The Cardinals conclude their opening weekend Sunday afternoon against the Blue Jays before hosting the Atlanta Braves for a three-game series. 

Check back here throughout the afternoon and evening for immediate coverage of the game and any news that surfaces from the Cardinals’ pre-game activities. We will publish expanded game coverage online Saturday night, and also in the pages of Sunday’s Post-Dispatch.