St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny (L) listens as General Manager John Mozeliak announces that Chris Carpenter will unlikely return to the rotation for the 2013 season. UPI/Bill Greenblatt
The Cardinals announced that starting pitcher Chris Carpenter will not pitch for the club in 2013 after experiencing the same type of shoulder pains last spring training. General manager John Mozeliak made the announcement today at Busch Stadium. Carpenter notified team officials last week that he was continuing to experience discomfort and numbness in his right shoulder, the same issues that eventually led to surgery last July after he was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome.
“Do I envision Carp returning? I would say it’s very unlikely, so no.” Mozeliak said.
During the Cardinals Winter Warm-Up, Carpenter told reporters that he starting his offseason throwing in December and didn’t have any issues.
AUDIOÂ John Mozeliak’s press conference (5:30)
“On Friday he had notified me after numerous attempts at throwing bullpens, he is still feeling the same discomfort he was experiencing during last year’s season and just felt like at this point he can no longer continue to try to throw,” Mozeliak said. “He was sad. He was definitely teary-eyed and I think he felt like, to some degree, he was letting us down. … At this time he just wants to make sure whatever’s going on in his shoulder, his neck and his arm will not preclude him from having a normal life.”
The Cardinals begin spring training workouts in Jupiter, Florida next week and now need to find ways to work around a young starting rotation. Kyle Lohse is unsigned after testing the free agent market. Could he be an option?
