JUPITER, Fla. -- Four months to the day since he nailed down the last out in Game 5 of the World Series, Adam Wainwright was looking forward to his next stint even though it's a far cry from the deciding game of the Fall Classic.

Wainwright, who is vying for a spot in the St. Louis rotation, will start the Grapefruit League opener Wednesday at 1:05 p.m. ET when the Cardinals host the Florida Marlins and left-hander Scott Olsen at Roger Dean Stadium.

"I am excited about it," said Wainwright, who has made 63 Major League appearances, but no starts. "But I don't want to make it anything more than what it is, or put any more emphasis on it than I should. It's just the next step in getting ready for the season."

Wainwright is scheduled to throw no more than 40 pitches, or go one to three innings. The 25-year-old said he plans to take the same professional approach to the outing with his focus on preparation for the season rather than statistics.

"I'll work on a few things, but mainly I want to see if I'm stronger," Wainwright said. "I might throw a few pitches just to get hitters' reactions to them."

Also scheduled to pitch for the Cardinals are right-handers Mike Smith, Mike Sillman, Brian Falkenborg and Josh Hancock and left-hander Randy Flores.

La Russa hadn't settled on the remainder of his lineup.

"It seems early to be playing games, [but] the guys are ready," La Russa said.