JUPITER, Fla. - The St. Louis Cardinals got some good news Tuesday morning when ace Chris Carpenter reported no pain following an aggressive bullpen session on the back mounds at Roger Dean Stadium.
Carpenter left his first start of the spring on March 1 because of a strained left hamstring. He still felt something in the area during a light bullpen session on Sunday but said Tuesday the pain has gone away.
"It was good, definitely way better than the other day," Carpenter said. "I didn't feel anything. I was still a little hesitant at times, but as it went on, I started to get a little more aggressive. I was real happy with the way I felt."
With Adam Wainwright already out for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery last week, the Cardinals are being especially careful with Carpenter. He pitched 2-2/3 strong innings March 1 against the Florida Marlins before calling for the trainer and leaving with two outs in the third inning.
Tuesday marked the first day that Carpenter threw free of pain, eight days after he left the game with what he called a "twinge" in his left hamstring.
"I'm not going to push it," Carpenter said. "I'm going to make sure it's right before I do anything crazy."
Carpenter is scheduled to start Friday, but it remains uncertain whether that will happen. He has missed one start, and missing a second would leave him only three starts before he takes the ball on March 31 on Opening Day.
That would apparently be enough for the 35-year-old right-hander.
"Give me a few starts and I'll be fine," Carpenter said. "We'll sit down and talk about it today and obviously tomorrow morning will be a key with how I feel. I'll probably know more tomorrow.
"It felt good."
Reliever Mitchell Boggs, who relieved Carpenter and subsequently left an inning later with tightness in his lower back, threw a bullpen session pain free on Monday and will likely return to game action in a couple of days.
