INSIDE PITCH
Chris Carpenter won't be ready for
the start of the season due to a neck injury, manager Mike Matheny announced
March 21.
The right-hander was due
to have his neck re-examined in St. Louis after experiencing symptoms
again.
Carpenter threw 40
pitches in a batting practice session March 18. He is dealing with a bulging
cervical disk, and he experienced weakness in his neck, shoulder and upper arm
March 19, according to multiple media reports. The pitcher returned to St. Louis on March
20.
There is no timetable for
Carpenter's return.
"Things weren't just
quite right," general manager John Mozeliak told MLB.com. "I would use the term
weakness. For precautionary reasons, we just think it's time to take a timeout,
have him evaluated. We're trying to determine if it's the neck, the shoulder and
what's causing the weakness. We don't know the answer to that
yet."
The St. Louis
Post-Dispatch reported that the injury appears similar to the nerve-related
condition that ended the 2005 Cy Young Award winner's season in 2004 and 2008
and resurfaced in 2010.
Matheny announced that
Kyle Lohse would draw the Opening Day assignment April 4 against the Marlins in
Miami. Lance Lynn will move from the bullpen to become the fifth starter in Carpenter's
absence.
NOTES,
QUOTES
Mike Matheny had just
answered a reporter's question about the challenges of being a first-year
manager when an unexpected situation presented itself.
The visiting Cardinals
were under the impression that the National Leagues team could continue using a
designated hitter in all exhibition games through March 21. Yet nearly an hour
after they had arrived at Disney's Wide World of Sports, the Cardinals were
informed that the host Atlanta Braves wanted the pitchers to bat in the March 19
Grapefruit League game.
Matheny found out that
news from the Cardinals' media relations director just as his team was starting
batting practice. Thus, he had to make some alterations to his lineup card
before the Cardinals went on to a 4-3 victory.
"I better find Lance and
tell him to grab a bat," Matheny said, referring to starting pitcher Lance
Lynn.
There was no hint of
Matheny being upset about being forced into changing his team's plans. He was
calm and collected, and that is exactly how he intends to stay as replaces the
legendary Tony La Russa as manager one season after the Cardinals won the World
Series.
"Every day, something new
presents itself," Matheny said. "Every day brings a different challenge. From
that standpoint, though, it hasn't been a surprise. I talked to a lot of people
who have done this job for a long time, and they said that the one thing about
being a manager is that once you think you've seen or handled every situation,
something new comes along. There are going to be challenges every day in this
job."
Matheny's challenges are
seemingly larger than those of most first-year managers. After all, he is
replacing the third-winningest manager in baseball history and taking over a
team that has nowhere to go but down after winning it all last
season.
Furthermore, Matheny is
managing professionally for the first time on any level.
Matheny's 13-year playing
career as a catcher ended with San
Francisco in 2006 because of post-concussion syndrome. He
then spent time as a businessman before joining the Cardinals'
player-development department in 2010 as a special
assistant.
Yet the Cardinals believe
Matheny is ready for the task. St. Louis general
manager John Mozeliak had a host of attractive candidates to pick from after La
Russa decided to retire two days after the World Series, including former
Boston manager
Terry Francona, who has two World Series titles on his resume. Instead, Mozeliak
hired Matheny.
"It was really an easy
decision," Mozeliak said. "Mike just has a presence about him and such a great
understanding of the game. He's a very impressive guy."
Matheny admits he is a
"drab" interview and speaks in a lot of cliches. However, Matheny also makes the
point that "cliches are cliches for a reason, and that's because they are basic
truths of the game. I believe that if you do the things the right way then
you'll have success."
Which is why Matheny
seems to be the only person who doesn't think being the Cardinals' new manager
is a big deal.
"It's all in your
perspective," Matheny said. "I don't make more out of what I'm doing than there
is because it would be a disadvantage to (the players). I look at this is an
opportunity to fill a position that was available with this team and a chance to
keep the momentum going that this organization has already
established."
Matheny might have a
matter-of-fact tone when talking about his new job, but he also realizes how
fortunate he is to step into his current situation. More often than not, teams
in trouble are the ones looking for new managers rather than defending World
Series champions.
"We have great veteran
leadership," Matheny said. "We have a great group of players who go about their
business the right way day after day. As a manager, that's the kind of players
and team you want to manage. I feel very fortunate to be in this
situation."
OF Allen Craig appeared
to be coming along more quickly than expected after offseason knee surgery.
Craig began taking batting practice on March 15 and had been doing straight-line
running before that. He planned to run bases in the next week or so after that
and hoped to play in an exhibition game before the end of camp. Barring a
setback, Craig, one of the Cardinals' playoff heroes last year, figured to be
ready before the May 1 estimate that had been offered.
In all likelihood, LF
Matt Holliday will fill the No. 3 spot in the batting order where former 1B
Albert Pujols hit for the past 10 years. Holliday, who had batted third in
Colorado, got
off to a .462 start after the first 11 exhibition games.
Veteran RH reliever Scott Linebrink, who was with Atlanta last year, made an early impression
with three scoreless innings. RHP Mitchell Boggs, who was the closer for a time
last year, was working with a split-fingered pitch and the sink on his fastball
was better when he didn't try to throw it so hard.
The Cardinals, who swiped
a league low 57 bases last year, stole 10 in their first 11 attempts this spring
although manager Mike Matheny noted that many of the steals were by young
players who hadn't been regular players last year. Matheny said, however, he
wanted to see those same players be aggressive in the spring games. 2B Tyler Greene has been one of the most active on the basepaths. As a reserve who played
only less half the season with the major league club last year, Greene led the
world champions with 11 steals in 11 attempts.
3B David Freese, after a
slow start, hit home runs in back-to-back games. Against left-handed pitching,
he was batting fourth behind Holliday and ahead of 1B Lance Berkman, when the
latter was in the lineup. The World Series Most Valuable Player hit mostly fifth
and sixth last season.
2B/OF Skip Schumaker
suffered a strained right oblique in swinging at a pitch on March 16. It was
similar to the injury he suffered in last year's postseason that cost him an
entire series, only Schumaker said the pain was worse this
time.
BY THE NUMBERS: 36 - Number of
years since a National League team repeated a World Series title. Cincinnati won in
1975-76.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "Not
good."
- 2B/OF Skip Schumaker's reaction
to the oblique injury he suffered on March 16.
ROSTER
REPORT
Projected
Rotation:
1. RHP Kyle
Lohse
2. LHP Jaime Garcia
3. RHP Jake Westbrook
4. RHP Adam Wainwright
5. RHP Lance
Lynn
The return of Wainwright,
a year removed from elbow surgery, should make a good rotation even stronger.
Garcia, who has won in double figures twice in his first two full seasons, might
be ready for a breakthrough year if he can avoid being distracted during games.
Lynn takes the
rotation spot of RHP Chris Carpenter (neck)
Projected
Bullpen (pick
seven):
RHP Jason Motte
(closer)
RHP Fernando Salas
RHP Lance Lynn
RHP Kyle McClellan
RHP Eduardo Sanchez
LHP Marc Rzepczynski
LHP J.C. Romero
RHP Mitchell Boggs
Motte, a late-season success as a
closer, will be the Cardinals' ninth inning man at the start of the season.
Salas, who had 24 saves last year, will be a reliable setup man but the club is
hoping to find another veteran to help in late innings.
Rzepczynski is a versatile
left-hander who can also retire right-handed hitters and doesn't have to be
employed only in situational roles.
Projected
Lineup:
1. SS Rafael Furcal
2. RF Carlos Beltran
3. LF Matt Holliday
4. 1B Lance Berkman
5. 3B David Freese
6. CF Jon Jay
7. C Yadier Molina
8. 2B Daniel Descalso
Newcomer Beltran could hit second,
third or fifth, although new manager Mike Matheny seems inclined to have
Holliday bat third. When OF-1B Allen Craig (knee surgery) returns in early May,
if not before, Beltran could move to center field against left-handed pitching.
Top
Rookies:
RHP Shelby Miller may be on the
fast track to the majors. The 21-year-old Miller, who throws in the mid-90s, was
a combined 11-6 at Class A Quad Cities and Class AA Springfield last year. He is
fewer than three years removed from being the club's top pick in the 2009 draft.
Also to be watched is 24-year-old Erik Komatsu, a Rule 5 pick from Washington. Komatsu, a
left-handed-hitting outfielder, hit a combined .277 in the Milwaukee and Washington systems last
year.
Medical
Watch:
RHP Chris Carpenter
(stiff neck) experienced neck, shoulder and upper arm problems after a March 18
throwing session. He won't be ready for the start of the season, and the
timetable for his return was unknown.
OF Allen Craig (right
knee surgery in November 2011) may open the season on the disabled list.
2B/OF Skip Schumaker is
expected to open the season on the disabled list (oblique
injury).