DH rule brings opportunity to Matheny, Cards

ST. LOUIS -- The Cardinals are in the midst of an 11-game stretch against American League teams, and beginning Tuesday, the final eight will be played in AL cities, where St. Louis will need to adjust its lineup to include a designated hitter.

Manager Mike Matheny said he will "see how it all plays out," but that there will be plenty of opportunities to get Matt Adams' bat into the lineup. The AL rules may also allow for Matheny to give a player essentially a half-day off, moving them from their normal positions to the DH.

"Get guys rest who need rest," Matheny said of his plan. "And how exactly that plays out, we'll wait until we get there. There's quite a few of these everyday players that could use a day to DH and get off their feet."

As for letting Tony Cruz give Yadier Molina a day off at catcher while Molina slides to DH, Matheny said it may be easier said than done.

"That's always an option, but Yadi also likes to play," Matheny said. "And when I say play, it's not just going in there and hitting. He likes to catch. … Would we like to get Tony more action? All season the answer has been yes. But when we have Yadi feeling good and he looks good, then it's hard to take him out. He loves to play."

Matheny said the club likes the roster as currently constructed and there are no plans to make a move to add another position player to the mix for the road trip.