ST. LOUIS — Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter has been shutdown indefinitely because of nerve irritation that has led to weakness in his right shoulder, the club announced Friday.
The news is particularly troubling to the Cardinals and Carpenter, who missed the 2004 playoffs because of a similar nerve issue and underwent surgery in 2008 to transpose a nerve in his right elbow.
The right-hander was sidelined for almost two weeks earlier this spring because of a bulging cervical disc in his neck. He completed an aggressive 40-pitch simulated game Sunday before complaining of shoulder weakness during a throw the next day.
The right-hander returned to St. Louis this week for a series of tests that showed a recurrence of the nerve issue.
An official release by the club called the cervical disc injury a "non-issue" and said a timetable for his return to the mound was undetermined at this time.
Carpenter, who turns 37 in April, threw 273-1/3 innings in the 2011 regular season and playoffs, the most of any pitcher in baseball. He threw 36 grueling innings in the postseason, including two starts on three days of rest and three starts in the World Series.
He also surpassed the 4,000-pitch mark for the first time in his career, finishing with 4,155 pitches thrown in the regular season and playoffs.
The workload already had the Cardinals on high alert heading into the spring. They modified Carpenter's program and had scheduled him to make at least one fewer start than the rest of the rotation.
But the plan changed when Carpenter first reported neck stiffness and pain after a throw to hitters on March 3. He had a cortisone injection to alleviate pain in the area and returned to the bullpen mound nearly two weeks later.
He reported no problems after throwing to hitters Sunday but said how he felt the next day would be key to his recovery. While Carpenter threw the next day, manager Mike Matheny said the pitcher's arm "never responded" and Carpenter was sent back to St. Louis for a new round of tests.
Carpenter is expected to return to the club's spring-training complex in Jupiter by Monday.
The former Cy Young Award winner went 11-9 with a 3.45 ERA in 34 starts last season.
Lance Lynn will open the season as Carpenter's replacement in the rotation, but any extended absence by their ace could cause the Cardinals to look elsewhere — perhaps at free agent Roy Oswalt — for pitching help.
