JUPITER, Fla. • Matt Holliday was to make his spring debut in the Cardinals’ lineup Saturday. At first base.
Holliday, 36, never has played anything else but left field in a major league regular-season game but has been working at first both in the off-season and during the early part of camp. But, after being written into the No. 3 spot in the batting order and listed at first base, Holliday was scratched an hour before the game with Miami because of some lower back tightness.
Before the change, manager Mike Matheny said that if Holliday at first base was going to be a “viable option for us, he needs game speed.