Carpenter to miss start due to elbow inflammation

Chris Carpenter will miss a turn in the St. Louis Cardinals' pitching rotation due to right elbow inflammation, though the team thinks its ace won't be out long. Carpenter complained of soreness Monday, the day after he struggled in the season opener against the New York Mets. An examination by team physician Dr. George Paletta on Tuesday did not include an MRI, and Carpenter said he thought his elbow already had improved. "I'm not a doctor, but I feel it's a little bit better," Carpenter said. The Cardinals said Carpenter will be evaluated over the next three days.

Carpenter allowed five runs in six innings during a 6-1 loss to the Mets on Sunday night. He has been the staff ace the last three seasons after missing most of the 2002 season and all of 2003 following shoulder surgery. Carpenter was an All-Star in each of the last two seasons, going 15-8 last year after winning the NL Cy Young Award with a 21-5 record in 2005.
Source: AP

Carpenter solid in final spring tune up

In his final start before Opening Night, Chris Carpenter pitched seven shutout innings, allowing four hits and two walks to go with five strikeouts. Looks like the Cardinals ace is in fine form with the season set to begin. Once Johan Santana is off the board, Carpenter is arguably the top starting option in fantasy baseball.
Source: MLB.com

Edmonds should play Opening Day

Cardinals center fielder Jim Edmonds probably will receive medical clearance to play opening day barring a setback in his rehabilitation from off-season shoulder and toe surgeries, the team's medical director said Wednesday. Dr. George Paletta said Edmonds' progress might make him available for his first Grapefruit League appearance this weekend and that a "better than even chance" exists for the Gold Glove defender to play April 1 against the New York Mets.

"I believe it is more likely than not that Jim will be ready to play based on how his shoulder and toe have responded," Paletta said before the Cardinals' exhibition against the Baltimore Orioles.

Edmonds put himself through a strenuous series of drills earlier this week and reported no pain in his surgically repaired second left toe. Edmonds also has told Cardinals training and medical staff that he can reach for outside pitches without right shoulder discomfort.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Cardinals: Starting rotation is set

The Cardinals starting rotation has been set with Kip Wells, Anthony Reyes, Adam Wainwright and Braden Looper set to follow ace Chris Carpenter. This means Brad Thompson and Ryan Franklin, who each threw multiple-inning outings this spring, will start the year in the bullpen. Owners will want to keep an eye on Thompson, as he likely will be the primary setup man for closer Jason Isringhausen.
Source: MLB.com

Kip Wells: Having Impressive Spring Campaign

Cardinals SP Kip Wells pitched four innings in relief Sunday against the Mets. He allowed two hits, three walks and one unearned run. He also had two strikeouts. Wells is having an outstanding spring campaign, allowing only one unearned run in 12 innings of work. He also has nine strikeouts. Wells split the 2006 season between Pittsburgh and Texas, making just nine starts. He broke his left foot after being traded to the Rangers and missed the last seven weeks of the season. Consider him an injury-risk sleeper on Draft Day, but remember Dave Duncan has turned pitchers with less talent into 12-plus game winners. It looks as though he is already working his magic.
Source: CBS SportsLine.com

Encarnacion: Will Likely Begin Season On DL

Making slow progress in his rehabilitation from offseason surgery on his left wrist, Juan Encarnacion will likely begin the season on the disabled list. Encarnacion, who refused to offer a specific return date, has begun taking batting practice but still feels weakness and occasional pain in the wrist. With the veteran right fielder likely on the shelf, teammates Preston Wilson, John Rodriguez and So Taguchi will compete for playing time in his spot.
Source: MLB.com

Edmonds: May Start Season On DL

Recovering from offseason surgery on both his shoulder and foot, Jim Edmonds is a strong bet to start the season on the disabled list. The Cardinals' decision to grant Edmonds with a two-year contract extension this past offseason seemed to express a sense of optimism about his health. But mounting aches and pains suggest otherwise for the 36-year-old center fielder, who spent a large portion of 2006 sidelined with post-concussion syndrome. And though he's certainly played through injuries before, doing so into his late 30s won't be as easy. So Taguchi and Skip Schumaker are expected replace him in center.
Source: MLB.com

Reyes: Effective In Spring Training

Anthony Reyes is incorporating his two-seam sinking fastball more effectively and confidently than ever before. With a tidy 0.90 ERA in Spring Training, Reyes is making strides toward becoming the front-line pitcher the Cardinals envisioned he'd become since his days in the Minors. With more movement on his fastball as well as a season of big-league growing pains and postseason experience under his belt, the 25-year-old right-hander makes for a great late-round buy, especially after owners are finished falling over one another to grab the Justin Verlanders and Aaron Harangs of the pitching market.
Source: MLB.com

Isringhausen: Hip Appears Good

Making his first appearance of the spring, closer Jason Isringhausen allowed two hits and struck out one over a scoreless inning of relief Thursday vs. the Dodgers. Though he hadn't seen big-league action since Sept. 6 of last year, Izzy looked sharp, throwing 14 of his 16 pitches for strikes. More importantly, he showed no ill effects from the hip surgery he underwent last September.
Source: MLB.com

2007 Cardinals Projected Lineup

2007 St. Louis Cardinals

Batting Order

1. SS David Eckstein
2. LF Chris Duncan/Preston Wilson
3. 1B Albert Pujols
4. CF Jim Edmonds
5. 3B Scott Rolen
6. RF Juan Encarnacion
7. C Yadier Molina
8. 2B Adam Kennedy/Aaron Miles

The Cardinals have toyed with moving Duncan down, but he had 30 points of OBP on Kennedy and 45 points on Encarnacion during his rookie season. While it's doubtful that Duncan will hit for average this year like he did last season, he could swat 25-30 homers even while sitting against lefties. Edmonds might begin the year on the DL if he's slow to recover from shoulder and foot surgeries. That would likely put So Taguchi or Preston Wilson in center field.

Rotation

1. Chris Carpenter
2. Adam Wainwright
3. Kip Wells
4. Anthony Reyes
5. Braden Looper

Other than Carpenter, the prospective starters won seven games as starters last season -- five by rookie Reyes and two by Wells. Mark Mulder, who had rotator cuff surgery in September, is expected back by July, although he thinks it will be sooner.

Closer: Jason Isringhausen

If Isringhausen has recovered from September hip surgery -- and by all accounts, he has -- he will regain the closer role. The Cardinals plan on using both Adam Wainwright and Braden Looper in the starting rotation, but we have to believe their strategy will change if Izzy's hip acts up again. Wainwright seems like the best emergency option, but if he sticks in the rotation, the Cardinals don't have another obvious choice for the ninth inning.

Reyes: Spot Locked Up In Cards Rotation?

Anthony Reyes allowed just one batter to reach base -- on a solo home run -- and struck out four over 3 2/3 innings vs. the Marlins on Friday. Reyes is 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA in exhibition action. The 25-year-old all but has a spot locked up in the Cardinals’ unsettled rotation, but he doesn’t appear to be taking anything for granted this spring.
Source: MLB.com

Isringhausen Struggles To Throw Strikes

Jason Isringhausen struggled to throw strikes Tuesday in his first batting practice of spring training, another step as the St. Louis Cardinals closer comes back from hip surgery that sidelined him during the postseason. Isringhausen threw on a back field at Roger Dean Stadium while the Cardinals traveled to play the Baltimore Orioles. He looked sharp and threw strikes while warming up.

But facing non-roster outfielders Rick Ankiel and Ryan Ludwig, only a few of Isringhausen's 25 pitches were strikes. The two hitters put four balls in play -- both broke bats hitting his fastballs.

"His location obviously wasn't there, but it's the first time in a while he's thrown," catcher Gary Bennett said.

Isringhausen had hip surgery in September. The 34-year-old right-hander struggled through the pain most of the season, going 4-8 with a 3.55 ERA, 33 saves and a career-high 10 blown saves.

"He threw the ball good," pitching coach Dave Duncan said. "He wasn't real happy with his command. I'm looking at his stuff and his delivery and I thought he kept his delivery together good and his location will come as time goes on."
Source: AP

Wainwright To Join Cards Starting Rotation

Adam Wainwright is working on making the transition back to the Cardinals starting rotation this spring. Nearly everybody who watched Wainwright strike out 15 batters over 9 2/3 scoreless relief innings last October expected him to emerge as a top closer this year, but Jason Isringhausen is healthy and the Cards are in dire need of starting pitching. Besides, prior to last year, Wainwright was a starter for his entire professional career. There’s still a chance he could be ushered back into the closing role, but it would probably take another Isringhausen injury and a series of other bullpen calamities for that to happen. For the record, Wainwright’s last run as a starter resulted in a 10-10 record with a 4.40 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 147 strikeouts over 182 innings at Triple-A Memphis in 2005.
Source: MLB.com

Mulder Recovering From Surgery

Mark Mulder has been doing drills this spring while the St. Louis Cardinals' other pitchers throw fastballs. He's on the mend from rotator cuff surgery in September and has to complete a recovery program that is likely to keep him out of games until June or July. This is Mulder's second major injury. He herniated a disk in September 2000, putting an end to his rookie year.

It is likely Mulder would be the sole left-hander in the rotation if he returns to start this season. The current front-runners for the rotation -- Chris Carpenter, Kip Wells, Braden Looper, Adam Wainwright and Anthony Reyes -- are all right-handers. Last season, when Mulder's shoulder began bothering him, he went 6-7 with a 7.14 ERA. The Cardinals shut him down in August.

"I just want to start feeling right and be ready," Mulder said.
Source: AP

Isringhausen (Hip) Has Solid Session

Jason Isringhausen (hip) threw 34 pitches in a bullpen session Saturday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

According to pitching coach Dave Duncan, there were only "four pitches where his delivery was not just right on time." Isringhausen will throw at least 40 pitches in his next session. The Cards hope he can face live hitters March 8 and make his spring debut a week later.
Source: RotoWire

Rolen Feels Good

Scott Rolen said his left shoulder, which required surgery in 2005 and bothered him at times last year, is feeling good.

Rolen was more or less starting from scratch last spring, and he admitted to feeling fatigued by the end of the long season. Now completely healthy, the 31-year-old should be in better shape by the close of training camp and regain some of the home-run power that was absent at times last year.
Source: MLB.com

Edmonds Recovering From Surgery

Cardinals center fielder Jim Edmonds will be held out of most Spring Training drills for at least two weeks as he recovers from offseason foot and shoulder surgery.

It’s never an ideal situation when an injury-prone veteran falls behind schedule in training camp, but Edmonds has shown a remarkable ability to get game-ready even with minimal preparation time. In 2003, for example, he saw only 10 Spring Training at-bats but went on to produce a whopping 1.268 OPS in April. Provided that he looks to be rounding into shape as spring progresses, owners should feel comfortable with making Edmonds a mid-to-late round power source.
Source: MLB.com