Cardinals Reveal Plan for Rookie Dakota Hudson's First Playoff Start

The NL Central-winning St. Louis Cardinals' winningest pitcher this season will likely not get his first postseason start until the NLDS against the Braves goes far deeper.

Per statements on Thursday, the Cardinals are loosely targeting the 16-game winner's next start for Game 4 (if necessary) of the NLDS in St. Louis on Tuesday.

This news comes of the heels of the surprising announcement of St. Louis' game one starter.

Hudson's last outing came on September 27 at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs. He did not factor in the decision, though he only allowed two hits over five shutout innings.

If Hudson does not start until Game 4, he will either be pitching on nine days' rest, or will have worked in relief in the games prior.

The Cardinals might want to be more aggressive, considering Miles Mikolas' ERA is above four, while Hudson has notched a better season. There might not be a Game 4 to play in the first place.

It will be tough for Mikolas on Thursday night, especially considering his seasoned counterpart on the mound for Atlanta.

The Cardinals will have probably their best pitcher in Jack Flaherty going in Game 2, but they may need to push up Hudson just to stay alive.