La Russa: Carpenter starts Wednesday
NEW YORK — Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter, after just two rehab starts, will return to the major-league rotation Wednesday in Atlanta, a little more than a year after Tommy John surgery ended his 2007 season, manager Tony La Russa confirmed Saturday afternoon.
Carpenter will be making his first major-league start since opening night 2007.
“Best news we’ve had,” La Russa said. “Give me something else that comes close to it.”
La Russa said the assignment hinges on how Carpenter feels after throwing a bullpen Sunday in St. Louis. If the righthander comes out of the side session well, he’ll join the team in Atlanta and start the third game of the four-game series against the Braves. To make room on the roster for Carpenter, La Russa said the Cardinals will likely option Mitchell Boggs to Triple-A.
Boggs remains with the team in New York after his start at Shea Stadium on Friday. The righthander could be used in relief on Monday or Tuesday if the Cardinals have the need.
Carpenter threw 78 pitches for Triple-A Memphis on Friday night, finishing 5 2/3 innings and striking out five batters against one walk. After the start, the second of his rehab assignment, Carpenter said he was “definitely pleased” with how he felt and his performance.
La Russa said he spoke with Carpenter on Saturday and that the righthander expressed comfort with how his elbow felt the day after his longest outing.
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Derrick Goold said he was going to Mizzou for capital-J journalism, but after growing up in the Time Zone Baseball Forgot he was really drawn to MU sitting between two major-league cities. Goold joined the Post-Dispatch in 2001 after working for The Times-Picayune and Rocky Mountain News, covering sports from LSU to NHL and every level of baseball in between. 
” To make room on the roster for La Russa, the Cardinals will likely option Mitchell Boggs to Triple-A.”
I think you mean Carp…
No, he really doesn’t.
This right here is like aquiring an elite starter. I think if the Cards were not struggling then Carp probably would have gotten another rehab start. It seemes as ,though, he had some issues with his command at points on Friday night. This could not have come at a better time. The Birds are struggling , and maybe Carp can provide a spark for this club.
With Carp coming back, and with Wainwright (hopefully) on his way back soon, is there any talk of moving Wellemeyer into the closer’s spot? Aside from a few starts in May, he’s struggled to go more than 5 innings, and (at least relative to everyone else on the team) seems to have some decent power stuff which is what you look for in the 9th. Plus, it could slot Franklin, Springer, McClellan etc. back to their comfortable slots.
It’s time to fish or cut bait with Izzy. Let him close the next to games, and if he can hang on, let reinstall him as closer in hopes of righting the bullpen. If he blows up, release him, and at lease Mo can have a day or two left before Thursday night’s trade deadline.
If we had just traded for a former Cy Young winner coming back from TJ surgery with a piece of hamstring in his elbow, how optimistic would we be? I view this like a running back returning from ACL repair. If he’s physically recovered and back on the field, anything he can do in that first season back is a bonus, because you can’t expect the usual explosiveness. For a pitcher, especially a starter, you can’t expect a guy to return from that kind of a layoff and rehab and immediately pitch at the level that Carpenter did for 2005-06. If he can start every 5-6 days, go 3-3 with a 4.50 ERA and go into the off season healthy, I’ll be thrilled and cautiously optimistic about having Carp as a #1 or #2 starter in 2009. Sure, he could anchor a pennant run; stranger things have happened in baseball. But I’d like to know what flavor KoolAid to mix.
Welcome to the roster equivalent of the “hail Mary.” We have no idea what Carp will have and how long he can go. He is going to have pitch counts early. We may well be adding a Cy Young winner that won’t go deeper in a game than Pinero of any of the rookies for several starts. How does this help the pen? It doesn’t.
Face it kids, there won’t be any help coming this year. This was a throw away year from the start. The only thing they didn’t count on was so many of these middle of the road players having good years.
When do pitchers and catchers report next February?
I sure hope they are not rushing Carp which it appears they are doing. They have alot of money invested in him for the long haul and I would hate to see us bring him back and then he gets hurt again in his 1st or 2nd start in the majors. Why not give him 2 more rehab starts? Plug someone in (my vote is Garcia again) for 1 or 2 more starts. Then you bring back Wainwright and Carp back at virtually the same time…what a boast that could be! Carp has a history of injuries so I would rather be a touch more conservative in his rehab but that is just my opinion. I am praying for the best and believe me…I will be VERY happy to see him back on the mound. GO CARDS!
What wonderful news! And in the nick of time too. Go Cards!
i’m as happy as the next guy… but i’m worried about another repeat with what happened to mulder. i dont think i can stomach cy young himself melting / breaking down on the mound in front of me. i sure hope he’s ready to pitch, and not that the club (or he himself) is desperate to.
“Tommy John” surgery is more predictable than what Mulder had with his shoulder, or what a NFL running back would have to fix an ACL. If Carp feels normal then the only issue is getting his control & stamina back. Looked like the control was better in his last start. I don’t mind him hitting guys, maybe if Franklin or Izzy would brush a few guys back they wouldn’t be teeing off on their fastballs right down the middle.