The Cardinals continue to prepare four pitchers for that opening in the rotation: Gant, rookie Dakota Hudson, righthander Daniel Ponce de Leon, and lefty Austin Gomber. The Cardinals have narrowed their focus to a duel between Gant, who is out of options, and Hudson, who has earned a spot somewhere on the pitching staff.

To get a read on the rotation race, look at the assignments. Hudson started Wednesday against Miami. Gant went to the back fields. Movement around them on the pitching staff could yet determine who leaves Florida as the fifth starter – if Hudson is needed in the bullpen should Alex Reyes not win a spot, or if Gant slides into a long relief role that frees up Reyes for a later relief role, for example. Even as the assignments offer clues on what the Cardinals want to see – Hudson against lineups populated now with big-leaguers and better timing – all four pitchers will continue to get a starter’s workload.

If two head to Class AAA Memphis, those two pitchers will be the starters atop the Redbirds rotation and, along with Jacob Woodford, could be the first called upon for a spot start.

The goal will be to have them ready to throw 100 pitches by the time they leave spring training, and that could be with St. Louis or with Memphis. And that decision could be the Cardinals’ second-to-last of spring. The last being the bullpen choice.