ST. LOUIS (AP) -Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter, sidelined since opening day by an elbow injury, threw a bullpen session Saturday in the latest step in his rehab.
“He had a good throw, he felt fine,” manager Tony La Russa said. “The big key is tomorrow. We need to make sure he bounces back the way he’s supposed to.”
Carpenter, a 15-game winner last year, began playing catch on Tuesday after a two-week layoff. His session on Saturday was his first off a mound since he encountered swelling a day after the opener.
The Cardinals need to fill a hole in the rotation on Tuesday at Milwaukee after optioning left-hander Randy Keisler, the fill-in for three of Carpenter’s starts, to Triple-A Memphis. But La Russa reiterated that Carpenter would not be ready in time.
“He’s got to come in tomorrow ready to go, and then you can get serious about a program,” La Russa said. “Best case is we’re going to be very careful and give him everything he needs.”
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