by Chris Cwik | CBSSports.com (5/16/2013) Cardinals starting pitcher Chris Carpenter is attempting to come back as a starter, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Carpenter threw 30 pitches during a bullpen session Wednesday as a "pre-game warmup." Carpenter will throw again Saturday and is expected to throw an "extended session." That session will involve Carpenter taking breaks after he pitches to simulate throwing a game.
Carpenter said he and the team will have a better idea of if and when he'll return by May 28.
Chris Carpenter almost ready for rehab stint?
by Ed Gauna | CBSSports.com (5/15/2013) Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter threw a short side session on Wednesday and could be nearing a stint in the minors, MLB.com reports. The right-hander is expected to throw twice more before the club determines whether or not he is ready to begin a minor-league rehab assignment.
"There's no question that it makes you feel like you're closer and makes you feel like you want to continue to go out there," Carpenter said. "I don't want to get ahead of myself. I want to slowly get back involved and make sure that I'm doing the things that I need to do to be ready when it's time."
Chris Carpenter throws bullpen session
by Ed Gauna | CBSSports.com (5/13/2013) Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter, who is on the 60-day disabled list, threw about 56 pitches during a bullpen session on Monday, MLB.com reports.
"It was good," manager Mike Matheny said after watching Carpenter throw. "He's just going about his bullpens. It looks like the ball is coming out of his hand pretty good. We'll wait and see how he feels in recovery, and then keep moving forward."
Carpenter hopes to pitch for St. Louis by the end of the season.
Chris Carpenter working to strengthen entire body
by Chris Cwik | CBSSports.com (5/13/2013) Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter is out with an injured shoulder, but he's working to strengthen his entire body during rehab, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Carpenter has been bothered by back and hip issues the last two springs, and he believes those injuries have contributed to his recent shoulder problems. A cortisone shot in his right hip seems to have alleviated his pain, and is the main reason he's ahead of schedule in his rehab. Carpenter said he's working to improve that area. "There is definitely a weakness in my right hip and lower back on that side, and we’re really trying to concentrate on it," Carpenter said.
Carpenter is slated to throw off the mound Monday. The team is hoping to have a throwing schedule planned out by the end of the next homestand. Carpenter was not expected to pitch this year after struggling with a shoulder issue during the spring.
Chris Carpenter inching toward return
by Adam Moore | CBSSports.com (5/10/2013) Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter, on the 60-day disabled list due to lingering neck and arm troubles, reported no issues after throwing a 75-pitch bullpen session Friday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Carpenter, who estimated that he has thrown four of five bullpens, said he has not felt any pain or numbness following his sessions.
I'm going to continue to throw bullpens," he said. "Just continue to get some work up there, continue to put some stress on my arm and see what happens. I've had no problems, no issues, no setbacks so far, and my arm feels strong. I'm feeling good about it. I'll continue to do it."
While there has been no official timetable announced for a possible return, Carpenter added that he should have a good idea of where he stands in a few days.
Report: Chris Carpenter could return as reliever
by Bill Passonno | CBSSports.com (5/4/2013) After seemingly being lost for the season with weakness and lingering pain in his right arm, Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpentercould rejoin the team after the All-Star break as a reliever, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Carpenter, who is on the 60-day disabled list, recently began a throwing program at Busch Stadium, but there is no immediate timetable for his return.
"I'm candidly optimistic and excited about him contributing," general manager John Mozeliak said. "We really haven't focused on a timetable or anything. We're merely letting him go out and see what he can do. If he clears one hurdle, he proceeds to the next."
Chris Carpenter not built for comeback
by Bill Passonno | CBSSports.com (3/18/2013) Cardinals starting pitcher Chris Carpenter (shoulder) made an unexpected visit to the team's spring training site on Monday, but his message to reporters came as no surprise. Echoing statements from last month, Carpenter said he was unlikely to pitch again as he continues to deal with lingering nerve and shoulder problems.
"I do (want to keep playing)," Carpenter told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "I don't think I can. ... There has been no change. There is some everyday stuff that is going on that is affecting me a little bit. ... I was planning on playing, on being a part of this team and make the choice at the end of the year whether I wanted to keep playing or not. Unfortunately it didn't work out that way."
Carpenter starts season on DL
by Bill Passonno | CBSSports.com (2/22/2013) The Cardinals moved starting pitcher Chris Carpenter (neck, arm) to the 60-day disabled list Friday in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. Carpenter is unlikely to pitch in 2013 and his star-crossed career could possibly be over after a recurrence of a nerve injury that cost him most of last season. He has yet to rule out retirement and plans to seek further medical evaluation before making a final decision on his status.
Carpenter not pondering retiring
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (2/11/2013) Cardinals starting pitcher Chris Carpenter isn't considering retirement despite the unlikelihood of him pitching in 2013 because of recurring neck, shoulder and arm issues. "I don't think I'll ever retire, to be honest with you, I'll never say that word," he said. "There might always be hope. Maybe when I'm 48 I can come back and do it some more." Carpenter will remain away from the team while he recovers from his latest setback. If my arm is what it is like now, at some point in time you have to be like, 'All right, enough's enough,'" Carpenter said. "You can only push it so much. I can't pitch with the way that I feel right now. It's not fair to anyone. I'm going to go ahead and rest it and wait until our guys get back. … We'll just have to see what happens through time."
Carpenter unlikely to pitch in '13
by Al Melchior | Data Analyst (2/5/2013) In a press conference Tuesday, Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak told reporters that starting pitcher Chris Carpenter was "very unlikely...to pitch for us in the 2013 season." Carpenter informed the team last Friday that he was still feeling discomfort and was unable to pitch, as he was having neck, shoulder and arm issues. He missed nearly the entire 2012 season due to nerve irritation and thoracic outlet surgery, making just three starts over the season's final weeks. Prospects Shelby Miller and Trevor Rosenthal and second-year pitcher Joe Kelly are leading candidates to replace Carpenter in the rotation.
Carpenter looks to spring forward
by Bill Passonno | CBSSports.com (1/19/2013) The apprehension for Cardinals starting pitcher Chris Carpenter is understandable. At his age, there is no guarantee he will remain healthy for a full season, especially after he made just six starts (regular season and playoffs combined) last year once he came back from a serious neck injury. Though he is expected to be ready for the start of spring training, the right-hander hopes to avoid having his workout regime modified at camp. "Right now I'm in a stage of my career where my mind is never at ease with physical issues," Carpenter told MLB.com on Saturday. "I feel good. And I feel healthy. But I felt that coming into last year, too, and it didn't work out. I know that my throwing is going well. I know that my shoulder is strong throughout exercise and throwing. I'm not having any issues."
