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Cards' Martinez named Opening Day starter

Hurler taking steps to elevate to true ace form, excited to prove himself in 2018
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Carlos Martinez (18) pitches to a New York Mets batter during the first inning at Busch Stadium.

JUPITER, Fla. -- There won't be any grand announcement, because Mike Matheny considers his choice for Opening Day starter something of a given. Of course it'll be Carlos Martinez on the mound when St. Louis opens the regular season in New York against the Mets on March 29. Who else?

"And there is no reason he shouldn't walk in here, and expect that to be the case," Matheny said.

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In the past, Matheny has waited until deeper in Spring Training to reveal his Opening Day starter. At least part of the manager revealing the news this early may be attributed to an effort to quell questions about the right-hander's availability, after he briefly left camp earlier this spring to address a personal issue. But it also speaks to how highly the Cardinals feel about Martinez, and how large a step forward they feel he's about to take.

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