Who will get the start on Wednesday?

As a result of the rainout on Friday, the Cardinals pushed back Shelby Miller's start to game one of their split double-header against San Francisco Saturday, with Adam Wainwright starting the nightcap on normal rest.  But the rainout also will force the Cardinals to have to make a difficult decision as to who will start this Wednesday's game, which would have been Miller's normal turn.

One option would be to start either Miller or Wainwright on short rest.  However, given that Miller is a rookie and Wainwright is not too far removed from Tommy John surgery, this is probably the least likely scenario.

Another option would be to call up a pitcher for a spot start. But who?

Carlos Martinez, who was with the big club earlier, is still ramping up as a starter and just pitched Sunday, so he is not an option. Two other pitchers, Boone Whiting and Richard Castillo, have been pitching well at AAA, but neither is on the 40-man roster and its unlikely that the Cardinals would want to clear roster space for one start, as any player dropped from the 40-man roster would have to clear waivers.

Maikel Cleto is on the 40-man roster and last started on May 29th. He would be the most logical starter if the Cardinals decided to call someone up.  He is slated to make the start tonight for Memphis, so keep an eye on him.

The final option would be to use a bullpen start.  For example, start Seth Maness or Joe Kelly and let each of them pitch 2-3 innings, before giving way to the other relievers.  This is less than ideal, as is puts a strain on the bullpen and the Cardinals have no days off for the next week.  However, it appears that this is the direction the team is leaning, provided they do not have to utilize their bullpen extensively over the next two days.

So, keep an eye on the Cardinals bullpen usage and who starts or is pulled from their start at Memphis over the next two days.  The Cards will likely announce who's starting on Tuesday, but we can probably figure it out before then.