DOWNTOWN — Taped on the door into manager Tony La Russa’s office is an advertisement ripped from a magazine and featuring Chris Carpenter delivering a pitch. La Russa had the same 8 1/2-by-11-inch picture stuck on his door down in spring training and he insisted on bringing the picture up north with him.

La Russa calls it “a reminder.”

The manager said Carpenter is a personification of what’s coming and what has to be accomplished for he arrives.

“He represents what we’re trying to be,” La Russa said this afternoon. “A great competitor who is putting himself through a lot physically and mentally to find a way to help us.”

La Russa didn’t need a picture to see Carpenter on Tuesday. The Cardinals righthander, who is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, is visiting the team and his family — not necessarily in that order — during this homestand. He’ll return to Florida this weekend with an eye on throwing to hitters for the first time Monday. Carpenter remains several months away from a return to the major-league mound, but he talked with a group of reporters today about where he is in his recovery and why he came to St. Louis this week.

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Q: What brings you here?

Carpenter: It’s been three weeks since I’ve seen my wife and kids, and 2 ½ weeks or so since I’ve seen these guys. I have a side on Wednesday and Friday, and I felt like this was the last chance I was going to get to come up here because I think I’m going to start throwing BP Monday. I’ll need the hitters down there and stuff like that. It’s a good opportunity to come.

Q: Is that (BP) something you’re eager for? Another step up?

Carpenter: I’m still going to go Wednesday and Friday and see how that goes. And if that goes well, I’m looking forward to Monday.

Q: How much of a mental break has it been just to get back here and see your family and be around the team for a little bit?

Carpenter: I just got in around 7 o’clock last night. So, it’s only been a night and half a day. It’s nice to be here and see the guys and watch a game in person. Also, like I said, see my wife and kids who I haven’t seen in awhile.

Q: We were watching you back in Florida and it looked like for where you were at you were pretty easy for what was coming out. Do you feel like that’s still the case, that you’re getting good results for the kind of effort level?

Carpenter: Absolutely. It’s definitely still going well. We’re starting to (throw with) more effort and little more — I started throwing breaking balls last week. So that’s another level that we’re getting to. We’ve still got a ways to go, but so far so good. The harder I start throwing and the more effort I’m going to be putting into these breaking balls will give us a sign of what’s going on also.

Q: Is that the point you’re at — where you’re not just reading a schedule but you’re reading how you’re body feels while doing …

Carpenter: Yeah, I think so. Like I said all along, our goal is not to push it too fast and have setbacks that are going to last weeks instead of taking an extra day before you have to throw. So far we’ve done that. That has to be by listening to my body and my elbow. Again, so far so good. We’ll see what happens.

Q: Just curious, Carp, what have you been to observe from afar about this team?

Carpenter: Obviously, we’ve been playing hard, been playing well. Seems like there’s a lot of energy. It’s fun to watch. I’ve only got to see a few on TV. Mostly I’ve just been watching on that little computer where the dot comes in - ‘Ball’, ‘Strike’.

Q: Talk about how cool that is …

Carpenter: Fabulous. … Been talking to some people with the team and obviously the results — the results of what we’ve done so far shows that we’re coming to play everyday.

Q: It seems during spring, the rotation talked about just hold out, hold out, hold out till you come back, till Mark Mulder comes back, till Matt Clement comes back, till Joel Pineiro comes back … so far, at least before they left, they’ve been dominant.

Carpenter: I’ve said all along as much these other guys here have said: I hope when it’s my time it’s going to be hard. It’s going to be a tough decision. That everyone of these guys is throwing great. Because if that’s the case that means we’re doing well. I want to make it a hard decision. Obviously I want to be healthy and I want to go out and compete, but I also want to win, and if those guys who are here are doing that then it’s an exciting thing.

Q: What pitch count are you at now?

Carpenter: Sixty. Three set of 20. Mixing in 15 breaking balls. A couple changeups here or there.

Q: Feel strong at the end as you do at the beginning?

Carpenter: Uh-huh.

Q: Seen Matt throw at all?

Carpenter: Looked like he was making progress. Mark looked like he was making really good progress.

Q: You’ve been so patient through this whole process, when you feel good after throwing your 60 have you been doing this for so long you’re programmed now to not rush it, not get overly excited.

Carpenter: I’m not getting disappointed and frustrated from one throw to the next. I’m going out and getting my throws in and knowing that it is a process and I have to be patient and when that time comes to really go hopefully just being patient through this process will effect that and make it so I don’t have any issues.

Q: What’s up with your picture being on the manager’s door?

Carpenter: I don’t know. I saw that today. Ask him.

Q: I did. He said he wanted you to see it.

Carpenter: Maybe he likes me. Maybe.

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