When a pitch struck the surgically relocated nerve on the inside of his left elbow earlier this month and his pitching arm went numb for 10 minutes, Cardinals lefty Jaime Garcia had his Murphy’s Law moment on the way to the hospital.

“Couldn’t move my arm. Couldn’t feel it,” he recalled Wednesday. “It was a pretty scary situation on the way to the hospital. I was thinking it was going to be something else. … With 24 hours, it was a huge change, a thousand times better.”

What could have been a setback was only a delay.

When the rain came Wednesday and washed out the Cardinals’ game against the Cubs, it could have been all the excuse the club needed to keep Garcia in the minors for another rehab start and another chance to up his pitch count. The opportunity to push him back was there. They have decided not to take it. What could have sent him back instead will only be a delay.

Garcia, 27, is set to make his return to the rotation Sunday, one day after the anniversary of his most recent start for the Cardinals. If the lefty completes a bullpen session today at Busch Stadium without difficulty, manager Mike Matheny said he’ll start vs. Atlanta.

“We need him to give us a chance to compete,” Matheny said.