Cardinals manager Mike Shildt mentioned the news casually at the beginning of his Zoom press conference on Tuesday, but it was the announcement everyone was still waiting for: Who would be the Padres’ starter for Wednesday's Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series?

“We got Paddack in Game 1,” Shildt said, “so we’ll focus on him now.”

Shildt wasn’t aware he broke the news to the media that San Diego's Chris Paddack would face the Cardinals in St. Louis' 4 p.m. CT postseason opener at Petco Park. He said that the Padres sent him a message with their decision during their workout on Tuesday, and the Cardinals began preparing.

Injuries complicated the Padres’ decision on who would start their first postseason game in 14 years. Dinelson Lamet (biceps) and Mike Clevinger (right elbow impingement) weren’t going to be ready for Game 1, so the Padres decided between Paddack and right-hander Zach Davies, who the Cardinals are familiar with from his five seasons with the Brewers.

Paddack, 24, was the ace of the Padres' staff last season, when he went 9-7 with a 3.33 ERA across 26 starts as a rookie. He struggled more in 2020, with a 4.73 ERA, 14 home runs allowed and a .515 opponent slugging percentage in 12 starts. But he fared well in two outings against the Cards in '19, surrendering two runs (one earned), with 12 strikeouts and five walks across 9 2/3 innings.

St. Louis has struggled to slug much of anything this season, as its .371 slugging percentage was second lowest in the NL, above only the last-place Pirates.

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“Obviously, you want to score runs any way you can get them,” third baseman Matt Carpenter said. “But in a postseason game, where runs can come at a premium, being able to steal bases, being able to run the way we do, being able to put the ball in play like we can when we’re going well -- and we’ve got some guys that can get hot and carry offense throughout the postseason -- if and when or any of those things fall in place for us, we can get on a roll.”

Facing a right-hander could mean lefties Carpenter and Brad Miller are slotted into the starting lineup for Game 1, with Carpenter at third base and Miller as the designated hitter. That would leave switch-hitter Tommy Edman in left field, with Dylan Carlson in center and Dexter Fowler in right. If Shildt wanted to install Harrison Bader's elite glove in center, he could start either Carpenter or Miller at DH, move Edman to third and Carlson to left.

Off-days helping Cards
The Cardinals had two rare off-days before the start of the postseason, which came as a much-needed relief after playing 11 doubleheaders this season to make up games lost due to their coronavirus outbreak. The Cardinals are relishing “normal” nine-inning games for the playoffs.

“I kind of felt like I should have been playing a doubleheader yesterday,” Edman said. “Instead, I was just hanging out in the hotel room. That was nice to get that recovery day for the body, and it’ll be nice to come out tomorrow feeling totally fresh and ready for a game.”

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Shildt could also flip his managerial script this series. He’s been managing with an eye on the schedule due to the influx of doubleheaders and only two off-days in the final two months of the season. Now, it’s win or go home.

“We’re full steam ahead,” Shildt said. “You didn’t want to get too aggressive in the moment and then get caught, because you can really quickly, especially with those doubleheaders, and be out. If you don’t manage your pitching well, it can affect you for multiple days. Now, it’s just different. There’s affinity to what’s going on. We know we’re not going to play more than three games in a row. We’ve had two days off, and guys are ready.”

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Worth noting
• The last time Carlson was at Petco Park, he was participating in a MLB Draft showcase for the Padres. Now, the outfielder and 2016 first-round pick is likely to be on the Cards' active postseason roster -- and likely in the starting lineup.

• Reliever John Gant (right groin tightness) won’t be eligible to return until after the Wild Card Series, but he is with the team in San Diego, making his return later in October more likely.

• With MLB’s announcement that the Appalachian League will now feature the nation’s top rising college underclassmen in wood-bat play each summer, Johnson City, the Cardinals’ rookie affiliate will be the final Appy League champs in 2019. They also won titles in '16, ’14, ’11 and ’10.

“That’s been a rite of passage for people in this organization from a playing standpoint to a coaching and manager standpoint,” Shildt, who managed there from 2009-11, said. “It’s launched a lot of people. A lot of good memories. I’m really excited the league is still in existence. If that league didn’t exist at all, I’ve got a great chance at not sitting here.”

Quotable
“I did a lot of tryouts for the organization in St. Louis. Although it didn’t happen, they did offer me, that was the great part. … I have some great memories from the Cardinals, and am very grateful my dad played for them, and his best season was with the Cardinals. So they obviously have a part in our heart, especially with my dad. But I’m sorry, when we step on the field, we ain’t friends no more.” -- Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr.