PHOENIX — St. Louis Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter did not feel comfortable enough this morning to bend over at his waist to pick up something off the floor and the severe discomfort his his side was still prominent a day after he had to leave his start. The Cardinals are calling the injury a rib-cage strain on his left side, though Carpenter has described it as an oblique strain.

The righthander will meet with team physicians on Thursday for a detailed diagnosis. He will have an MRI performed on the area in question.

“It’s four to eight weeks, that’s what we’ve seen in the past,” manager Tony La Russa said. “If it’s not bad, it’s four. If it is, it’s eight. I have no idea. Just keep our fingers crossed.”

The Cardinals take some comfort in the fact that the oft-injured righthander is sidelined this time with something completely unrelated to his shoulder or elbow. Carpenter’s first start of this season was also his first victory since the 2006 World Series because of a string of injuries that included two elbow surgeries.

“These things could take four weeks, six weeks, eight weeks, there’s no telling,” La Russa said. Asked if this is something that could linger through the season or something that will bother Carpenter when he returns: “Not if he’s healed.”

-30-