Wainwright (1-0) earned the win Thursday, allowing five runs on five hits and three walks over 5.2 innings against the Dodgers. He struck out one.

EDGE Analysis

Wainwright should have made it out of the sixth inning, but a Paul Goldschmidt error allowed the inning to continue and the Dodgers took advantage. An RBI single chased Wainwright before Freddie Freeman hit a grand slam off Genesis Cabrera. Fortunately for Wainwright none of the sixth-inning runs were earned. The 41-year-old has struggled in 2023. He has a 5.74 ERA and 1.60 WHIP in three starts. Plus his strikeout numbers are nearly nonexistent with eight in 15.2 innings.

Wainwright is now scheduled to make his next start Thursday versus the Dodgers, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

EDGE Analysis

Heading into the week, Wainwright was lined up to start Wednesday's series finale versus the Brewers, but the Cardinals are instead giving him and each of their other four starters an extra day of rest by calling up lefty Matthew Liberatore from Triple-A Memphis to get the ball against Milwaukee. The matchup change from the Brewers to the Dodgers amounts to a downgrade for Wainwright, but he'll still benefit from pitching at home rather than on the road.

Wainwright allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks over five innings during Friday's victory against the Red Sox. He struck out two and did not factor in the decision.

EDGE Analysis

Wainwright got through three scoreless frames before Boston broke through with a pair of runs in the fourth. He then served up back-to-back homers to Connor Wong and Enmanuel Valdez in the fifth. The veteran righty has been tagged with eight runs through 10 innings in his first two appearances of 2023. Wainwright will look for better results in his next start, which is projected to be at home against the Brewers next week.

Wainwright didn't factor into the decision in Saturday's 6-5 extra-inning loss to the Tigers, giving up four runs on eight hits over five-plus innings. He struck out five.

EDGE Analysis

Activated from the IL earlier in the day after completing his recovery from a groin injury, the 41-year-old gave St. Louis three scoreless frames in his season debut before beginning to fade, eventually getting pulled after 90 pitches (62 strikes) when he gave up back-to-back hits to lead off the sixth inning. Wainwright was still in position to pick up the win until Detroit tied it up in the seventh. The workload is encouraging, and despite his age he has thrown over 190 innings in each of the last two seasons, so Wainwright isn't expected to need extra rest between starts now that he's healthy. He'll likely take the mound for his second start of 2023 next weekend in Boston.

Wainwright (groin) was activated Saturday and will make his season debut against the Tigers.

EDGE Analysis

A groin strain sent Wainwright to the injured list to begin the season and will wind up costing him over a month. His 6.23 ERA and 1.54 WHIP in three rehab outings hardly inspire confidence, though those marks do come with a 13:2 K:BB. The 41-year-old righty maintain a respectable 3.71 ERA last season despite the fact that his strikeout rate dropped to 17.8 percent. Guillermo Zuniga was optioned in a corresponding move.

Wainwright (groin) is likely to make his season debut with the Cardinals on Saturday against the Tigers, Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

EDGE Analysis

Wainwright has looked pretty hittable during his three-start minor-league rehab assignment between Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis, yielding nine earned runs on 18 hits and two walks over 13 innings. Still, the Cardinals will hope that the veteran right-hander can help stabilize their pitching staff now that he is recovered from the groin strain that popped up in late March. Even with diminished velocity -- which remains an issue -- Wainwright worked to a solid 3.71 ERA across 191.2 innings for St. Louis in 2022.

Wainwright (groin) covered 5.2 innings and gave up four earned runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out nine Sunday in his rehab start for Triple-A Memphis.

EDGE Analysis

Though he surrendered a three-run home run in the second inning that dinged his final line, Wainwright otherwise looked much sharper in his third rehab outing after he struck out only four batters in 7.1 innings across his first two starts at Double-A Springfield. He finished the day with 89 pitches, spotting 61 of them for strikes. With Wainwright now fully stretched out and faring well in a rehab start, he looks poised to return from the 15-day injured list to make his season debut with the Cardinals during this upcoming weekend's series with the Tigers. Expect either Jake Woodford or Steven Matz to move to the bullpen to open up a rotation spot for Wainwright.

Wainwright (groin) will pitch in his third rehab start Sunday with Triple-A Memphis, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Wainwright has made two starts with St. Louis' minor-league affiliates and managed to complete 4.1 innings his last time out. In total, he's managed a 4:1 K:BB while allowing five earned runs across 7.1 frames in those two outings. His target is 90 pitches Sunday, meaning if all goes well he should be set to rejoin the big-league rotation in early May.

Wainwright (groin) will make one more rehab start at Triple-A Memphis, Jim Hayes of Bally Sports Midwest reports.

EDGE Analysis

The date of his third rehab start isn't clear, but Sunday would be regular rest. Wainwright has been knocked around a bit in his first two rehab outings, yielding five runs on 11 hits with a 4:1 K:BB over 7.1 innings. This means Jake Woodford should get one more turn in the Cards' rotation and Wainwright will be set up to return next weekend at home against the Tigers.

Wainwright (groin) allowed three runs on seven hits and one walk over 4.1 innings in Tuesday's rehab start with Double-A Springfield, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Wainwright struck out just one on the night. The veteran right-hander has now allowed five runs on 11 hits with a 4:1 K:BB over 7.1 innings over his two rehab outings. Woo says the Cardinals are still deciding whether to give him a third rehab start or re-insert him into the rotation. If Wainwright does make his next start with the big club, it could come as soon as Sunday in Los Angeles versus the Dodgers.