With a one-game wild-card playoff looming to decide if they advance in the postseason and two compelling pitchers returning from injury, the Cardinals have prioritized finding innings for Jack Flaherty and Dakota Hudson and seeing what possibilities emerge for their roles.
Flaherty was available in relief for the first time Tuesday, though he was not used in the Cardinals' 6-2 wild-card clinching victory at home over Milwaukee. The move to the bullpen came a few days after the Cardinals said they planned to keep him as a starter so avoid upsetting the righthander’s precision warmups and pregame regimen.