Worth noting

• Matheny said that Jaime Garcia is expected to throw about 35 pitches in an extended spring training appearance on Saturday. Garcia remains in Jupiter, Fla., where he is recovering from left shoulder bursitis.

• Matheny said he has taken notice of the strong starts some of the organization's Minor League players have had and singled out outfielders James Ramsey and Joey Butler. Ramsey, ranked as the Cardinals' No. 7 prospect, according to MLB.com, and playing for Double-A Springfield, entered Thursday batting .402 with eight extra-base hits (including four homers) and 11 RBIs. Butler has a .485 average through 13 games with Triple-A Memphis. He has hit three home runs and driven in 10.

"It's just nice to see those guys leave Spring Training and take some of those steps that we saw in spring now applied into an everyday situation," Matheny said. "They are some exciting players. It will be fun to watch as they go through the long haul."

• The Cardinals announced that tickets for their 10th annual Purina Pooches in the Ballpark event, to be held on June 14, will go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. CT. Those tickets, which can be purchased at cardinals.com/pooches, are $135 per person and include participation in a pregame parade.