David Banks-USA Today Sports
The Arizona Diamondbacks will start the 2013 season off by facing the St.Louis Cardinals at Chase Field in a three game series that starts on Monday. The Diamondbacks will have Ian Kennedy making his 3rd straight opening day start for the club. Kennedy will be expected to set the tone for the pitching staff this season with the way he performs in his first start. The Cardinals will have their ace of the staff making his first career opening day start in Adam Wainwright. Wainwright just signed a new deal with the Cardinals that will keep him with the club for the next five years.
The Cardinals and Diamondbacks are each dealing with injuries to key members of their team. Arizona will have their speedy outfield prospect, Adam Eaton, miss at least six weeks due to an arm injury, Cody Ross will miss at least a week because of a calf injury that sidelined him for most of spring training, and Willie Bloomquist is out for a month due a grade two oblique strain.
St. Louis will be without their shortstop Rafael Furcal for the entire 2013 season, and pitcher Chris Carpenter could be out for the 2013 season as well. The Cardinals will also be without infielder David Freese as he will begin the season on the DL.
The Diamondbacks will be tested early this season by facing the Cardinals in the first series of the year. They will have to find a way to win without some of the their key players for their first series of the season against a team had one of the better offensive teams last season in the National League.
Chris is the Diamondbacks writer for www.RantSports.com
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