Carp’s Soreness Sending Him Back to STL
MIAMI — Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter will return to St. Louis on Tuesday morning to meet with team doctors about the pain in his right arm that forced him out of Sunday night’s game after 66 pitches, a team official confirmed Monday.
Carpenter came to Dolphin Stadium this afternoon, met with the team’s trainers and had a closed-door meeting with manager Tony La Russa. Afterward, Carpenter said the right arm — specifically in the triceps area — was “still a little sore”. But he added that the plan, at that time, was for him to throw a bullpen here Tuesday and then determine if he could make his next scheduled start, on Friday. After an additional set of meetings with team officials, that plan changed.
Carpenter will return to St. Louis on Tuesday and meet with Dr. George Paletta there to determine the next step for the righthander. The team felt the discomfort was enough — especially this close to Carpenter returning from last summer’s Tommy John surgery – that the doctor should have a first-hand look before Carpenter attempts to throw.
Carpenter said a series of tests performed on the arm and with the arm Sunday night gave him and team officials comfort that his rotator cuff was not an issue. He said the pain was not originating from his surgically repaired elbow.
The Cardinals’ righthander made his third start since returning from a year of rehab Sunday night at Wrigley Field. In the sixth inning, he felt the back of his upper arm grip as he threw a fastball to Jim Edmonds. He made another pitch and felt the same bite of pain. Carpenter left the game after throwing 66 pitches in 5 1/3 innings.
The Cardinals are waiting to diagnose the issue until Carpenter meets with Paletta.
“It’s not what I’m looking for,” Carpenter said. “Hopefully, I get rid of it soon, and get back to where I should be, starting. Obviously, this is not what I was looking to happen at all.”
More later tonight on StlToday.com and in Tuesday’s Post-Dispatch.
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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. 
Play it safe with Carp! If it means him missing a turn or two in the rotation then do it. He has looked good so far in his three outings. He gave the Birds a shot at a win last night, but poor defense blew it.
At this point it appears that Waino is headed to the pen and probably to the closers role. I have previously advocated Carp as the closer , and maybe that now is something to consider seriously. It would releive stress from his arm, and he has not lost alot velocity wise on his FB. He has the makeup of a closer, with his good fastball and his big breaking ball. BTW, does it seem to anyone that Carp does not use his big curveball as often since his return? I think I might have only seen a few during the game last night. Nice to get some news, DG.