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JUPITER, Fla. — The grand debut planned a year ago and sidetracked by injury is set to get a second chance.

Sonny Gray will start opening day at Busch Stadium on March 27 against his former team, the Minnesota Twins. Manager Oliver Marmol made the assignment official Sunday morning ahead of Gray's spring training start against the Marlins. Gray's selection by the Cardinals as their opening day starter was telegraphed early in camp by his schedule, his position atop the rotation, and the choice he made this past offseason.

Given the chance to be traded elsewhere, to a team closer to contending for a World Series, Gray said he would invoke his no-trade clause and that he preferred to remain with the Cardinals.

Marmol said he received a hug from Gray when he told him about the start.

Marmol was asked if he notified Gray of his opening day start in September before they parted for the offseason.

This received a laugh from the manager.

He told Gray more recently than September.

The start will be Gray's fourth opening day start of his career, coming after he did it twice as a young starter for the Oakland Athletics and then, most recently, started the delayed opening day in 2020 for the Cincinnati Reds. 

Gray missed last year's opening day start because of a hamstring strain during spring that forced him to start the regular season on the injured list. 

After finishing runnerup for the American League Cy Young Award in 2023 with the Twins, Gray signed a three-year, $75 million contract with the Cardinals as a free agent. The deal includes an option that would make Gray the first $100-million pitcher for the Cardinals if exercised. In his first year with the Cardinals, Gray went 13-9 with a 3.84 ERA and 203 strikeouts in only 166 1/3 innings.

He was one of the top starters in the game when it came to striking out batters whenever he got to a two-strike count, and Gray's sweeping slider is considered one of the best swing-and-miss pitches in the majors.

Gray will start opposite his good friend, Twins right-hander Pablo Lopez.

The Cardinals open their regular season with a three-game weekend series against the Twins before the Los Angeles Angels visit to close out the homestand. The Cardinals' first nine games of the regular season are against American League teams before they visit Pittsburgh.

The Cardinals' rotation schedule for spring put Erick Fedde immediately Gray followed by Miles Mikolas, Steven Matz, and then Andre Pallante and rookie Michael McGreevy.