Rotation order awaiting playoff positioning

ST. LOUIS -- With the Cardinals' postseason positioning up in the air, so too is their starting rotation.

Lance Lynn is slated to open the final series of the regular season Friday against the Cubs, then the next two days remain a fluid situation. Joe Kelly would be on turn to start Saturday, but with Thursday's off-day, Adam Wainwright also would be available on regular rest.

If the Cardinals wanted to start Wainwright in game one of a potential National League Division Series, he could not start Sunday's season finale. If they wanted him for the one-game Wild Card next Tuesday, he would have to skip his last regular-season start entirely.

"We just got to see how it plays," manager Mike Matheny said. "I know those are all legitimate questions and legitimate situations. But right now we're going to play today. I want the guys preparing to stay on time for their starts. I don't want them thinking about what the possibility is if X, Y or Z happens. We got to play today, win today, and then tomorrow we'll address other things. It's not time to go anywhere else yet."

Matheny said he has a vague picture of what each scenario could look like, but is won't allow his mind to wander that far ahead.

"[If] I start going there, I start opening the door for those guys to go there. And when they start going there, bad things are set to happen," Matheny said. "We've got plenty of time to figure that stuff out."