Gray to make Cardinals debut Tuesday vs. Phillies

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Sonny Gray will make his team debut Tuesday at home against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Gray hasn't pitched since straining his right hamstring during a spring training start.

"He is as direct and honest of a human as you can ever encounter. And if he says he is 100% himself and ready to go, from my seat, I trust that," Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said, according to MLB.com's John Denton.

Gray will be on a pitch count of roughly 65, according to The Athletic's Katie Woo.

The hurler threw 54 pitches during a simulated game Wednesday and had a successful bullpen session at Busch Stadium on Saturday.

Gray inked a three-year, $75-million contract with the Cardinals in November after finishing as the AL Cy Young runner-up in 2023 for the Minnesota Twins.