Cardinals vs. Tigers: Key Matchups, Injury Updates, Prediction

The St. Louis Cardinals will begin their third series of the season so far on Friday and if it is anything like the first two, the fanbase will be happy.

St. Louis has been awesome so far this season. The Cardinals currently have a 4-2 record and and have had a flair for the dramatic this season. No. 1 prospect JJ Wetherholt got his first walk-off hit of his big league career in the second game of the season on March 28 against the Tampa Bay Rays. On Wednesday, Wetherholt's double-play partner, Masyn Winn, got into the action with a walk-off hit of his own against the New York Mets.

The Cardinals have looked good and now they will hit the road for their first away series of the season so far against the Detroit Tigers.

Pitching Probables

Mar 28, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael McGreevy (36) pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Friday: Michael McGreevy (STL) vs. Framber Valdez (DET)

Saturday: Dustin May (STL) vs. Jack Flaherty (DET)

Sunday: Kyle Leahy (STL) vs. Justin Verlander (DET)

The first contest of the series will begin on Friday with the first pitch scheduled for 12:10 p.m. CDT. Saturday's contest will begin with first pitch scheduled for 12:10 p.m. CDT as well. Sunday's contest has first pitch scheduled for 6:10 p.m. CDT. McGreevy will make his second start of the season on Friday after going six hitless innings against the Rays on March 28, the same game that Wetherholt got his walk-off.

May and Leahy are looking to bounce back after tough first starts of the year. May will do so against an old friend in Flaherty.

Injuries

Apr 1, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn (0) throws to first during the eighth inning against the New York Mets at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The biggest one to watch out for is Winn. He was in a car accident after getting his walk-off hit earlier in the week. He took to Instagram and made it clear that he's alright. But this situation will still be something to monitor because as of writing, it's unclear if he will need to miss any time.

Where Both Teams Are

Mar 30, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt (26) fields a ground ball against the New York Mets during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The Cardinals have come out firing this season. The Cardinals' roster is young and hungry and really everything has gone their way so far this season, starting with the performance of Wetherholt. He has been phenomenal and has lived up to the hype in his first week in the big leagues. It's been just a week, but there are few people out there who thought the Cardinals would be 4-2.

The Tigers are on the other end of the spectrum. Detroit enters the contest with a 2-4 record, including four straight losses.

Bold Prediction

Mar 29, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Dustin May (3) pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Cardinals take two of the three games against the Tigers and improve to 6-3. On top of that, May will record eight-plus strikeouts in his second outing of the season.