St. Louis Cardinals' Chris Carpenter pitches another simulated game – MLB News
Things seem going pretty well and as planned for the St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Chris Carpenter. The Cardinals' pitcher who has been unable to play any game this season due to thoracic outlet surgery, threw 70 pitches in a simulated game on Monday, September 10.
The Cy Young Award winner now seems all set to play this season. Monday’s simulated game was a reassuring development for the ace pitcher, a starter who was instrumental in winning the 2011 World Series.
"Everything's good," Carpenter said. "My stuff today was sharp, my cutter was sharp, I threw my breaking ball for strikes, my fastball on both sides of the plate, which was good."
The Cardinals, nonetheless, are loath to let any hype surround these developments. If anything, it seems, the Cardinals want to go cautiously with it. The effort, as it can be seen, is also to avoid any risk.
If any start is to be made this season, Saturday’s simulated game will be a step towards it, which will determine his complete fitness and more importantly, the needed form at this point in time.
Monday’s outing nonetheless, was encouraging for manager Mike Matheny who is closely monitoring developments.
"It was a very good outing today. Had more life on the ball, crisp movement, and he held it all the way through, right until his last pitch, the same stuff," Matheny said. "So it was all very encouraging."
For now, the Cardinals do not want to see the player re-injure himself given the fact that the starting pitchers with experience are much needed in the line-up now. Jake Westbrook, another Cardinals' starter – that injured his oblique muscle in his last start, has yet to make a full recovery.
Westbrook will be the second starter to go if MRI exams show something risky for the player. However, all eyes for now are set on Carpenter. If and when he returns, it will be the formal enunciation of the Cardinals being back in the centre to not only make it to the playoffs, but also going beyond that – the way they did last year with a World Series victory.
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