ST. LOUIS - While the Cardinals roll on with two rookies in their rotation, two veterans continue to make strides toward returning.
Meanwhile, a second-year right-hander, Joe Kelly, was named to fill the opening in the rotation for Wednesday night against the Diamondbacks. Kelly made 16 starts last season, finishing 5-7 with a 3.53 ERA. He has been up and down as a reliever this season, and will take an 0-2 record and 6.75 ERA into his first start of this season.
While picking Kelly to start Wednesday was expected, veteran right-hander Chris Carpenter provided a mild surprise Monday when he threw about 20 pitches of live batting practice. This followed a bullpen session during which he said he threw another 20 pitches.
"A good step," Carpenter said.
But not a big step. Carpenter says he figures to "repeat this a few times before I do anything different." In other words, he doesn't know when he'll make a rehab start, much less when he might be back on a major league mound.
His post-practice media refrain sounded quite much like last week's. That is, everything went well. His arm has bounced back from the sluggish feeling that briefly stalled his progress two weeks ago. His stuff is getting better but still has a ways to go before it's big-league ready. He will continue to do whatever he can to return.
If you think progressing from a bullpen session to live BP is a small step, you're right. But at least it's a step in the right direction. Carpenter pointed out an even more significant development was that he now has completed three consecutive bullpens without incident.
While Carpenter doesn't know when he might make a rehab start, Jake Westbrook knows when he will make his first one: Tuesday night in Springfield against Arkansas.
Westbrook's status has flipped since last Monday, when he was set to board a plane to see Dr. James Andrews. But his right elbow felt fine in an early throwing session and the flight was canceled. Westbrook has continued to progress.
He says two rehab starts should be enough, which could have him back in the rotation next week. Of course, much depends on how his right arm responds.
With the veterans shelved and rookie starters accounted for, the Cardinals decided to turn to Kelly to fill the hole left in the rotation by last Friday night's rainout. Manager Mike Matheny said Kelly would not be on a strict pitch limit, pointing to a 62-pitch relief outing the right-hander made on May 25 at Los Angeles.
"He threw 60-some pitches without even having been built up at all so, especially with the extended rest (Kelly last pitched Thursday), he should be good to go," Matheny said.
