The subsequent transaction was to remove Wainwright from the 10-day disabled list where he had resided after suffering a hamstring strain while running sprints late in spring training. Wainwright had a smile on his face when asked about his potential start on Thursday but deferred comment until manager Mike Matheny made the declaration to the Post-Dispatch shortly before 5 p.m. and his standard pregame media briefing.
This was the way the season was supposed to start as Flaherty, despite a couple of dazzling outings in his last two spring training starts, already had been optioned to Memphis before the team broke camp.