Chris Carpenter engages in catching session
The St. Louis Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter had the first catching session on Wednesday, March 14, since his shutdown due to neck stiffness. Carpenter’s workout on Wednesday serves as a good omen for a team that is out to defend the World Series title they won the previous year.
Carpenter’s name is not even in the tentative list for any Grapefruit League game after the fitness problem arose. Prior to the commencement of the season, this was a worrying sign given the fact that it was Adam Wainwright who was effectively out of the season in 2011 at almost the same time.
The Cardinals massively counted upon their pitchers in 2011; and it worked out well. It was for this reason that they seemed a bit unsettled once the news of Carpenter’s neck stiffness broke out. However, the catching session with Jake Westbrook was a welcome sign.
Carpenter himself seemed content with the session that he had on Wednesday. He said he is going in the right direction.
"I felt good this morning," Carpenter said. "I felt good yesterday. I'm continuing to go in the right direction, which is what they were hoping. Now, we'll continue to move forward and see what happens. That's not up to me."
The Cardinals, on the other hand, had tried to find a replacement in case Carpenter failed to make a comeback. Their plan, therefore, was to give a chance to Lance Lynn if he could somehow prove his instrumentality for the defence. He seems to have clicked with the recent performance.
As to when will Carpenter throws next, the starter was unsure about it. "I think it's going to depend on how I feel," Carpenter said. "That's up to the doctors and the trainers. I felt good today, but this isn't a whole lot. This was just to go out and see how it feels."
The Cardinals would surely desire to have Carpenter back in the team soon. If that does not happen, they will bring in Lance Lynn to replace the starter who had played a key role in bringing victories for the Cardinals last year.
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