ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - The St. Louis Cardinals will finally play baseball against another team. The Cardinals announced they will host the Kansas City Royals for an exhibition game at Busch Stadium on July 22. First pitch is at 3:05 p.m.
President of baseball operations John Mozeliak told KMOX on Sunday that the team has changed course and is now open to playing a game against another opponent before the season starts. He said they originally thought it'd be best not to play an exhibition game.
"It is something we're talking about, haven't finalized anything yet but just trying to see if something would work out," Mozeliak says. "It would likely, probably be just a one gamer."
The Royals are St. Louis' closest geographical MLB opponent and they are set to play each other six times when the regular season begins.
It will be a newsworthy moment when the Royals do come to Busch Stadium. It will be the return of former Cardinals manager and current Royals manager Mike Matheny. He was fired during the 2018 season, making way for Shildt to become manager.
"My wife was around me the whole time and never had any symptoms and never tested positive," Matheny told MLB.com. "But I do realize that anyone at higher [risk> needs to be extremely cautious with this. I consider myself in good shape and in good health and not at risk, not a high risk, certainly.
"But I felt it, and someone in a different place (health-wise) in their life, it would have knocked them pretty good. There were people in my life that I didn’t want exposed at all."