Chris Carpenter will most likely miss the entire 2013 season. The Cardinals' general manager John Mozeliak made the announcement in a press conference Tuesday afternoon. Carpenter is still unable to throw after a shoulder injury in 2012.
Carpenter missed almost all of the 2012 season with a shoulder injury. He had surgery to help fix nerves in his pitching shoulder after being diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome. Carpenter is continuing to have health issues with the already injured shoulder, along with his neck and arm.
Carpenter is 144-94 in his career with a 3.76 ERA, 1,697 strikeouts, 33 complete games and 15 shutouts. He is 10-4 in the postseason with a 3.00 ERA with two World Series rings to his name. In 2005, he won the NL Cy Young and was named the NL Comeback Player of the Year in 2009. Carpenter has been named to three All-Star games.
While his list of accomplishments and impressive stats is long, his list of injuries is longer. At 37, Carpenter has had some serious injuries that have hindered his ability to be an elite pitcher year after year. He has suffered a torn shoulder labrum, a torn ulnar-collateral ligament which led to Tommy John surgery and now the current shoulder injury.
While it was not mentioned specifically, retirement is certainly on the table for Carpenter. In the press conference, Mozeliak mentioned Carpenter was concerned about having a normal career post-injury. It seems all but obvious that Carpenter might have already thrown his last pitch in the major leagues.
The Cardinals are not hurting for pitching with Carpenter being out. They have top arms with Adam Wainwright and Jake Westbrook. Jaime Garcia is recovering from a shoulder injury and Lance Lynn is expected to be a starter after being a bullpen standout. They also have an impressive group of younger pitchers to pick from. The team could also consider signing free agent Kyle Lohse.
"We're comfortable with what we have," Mozeliak said.
If Carpenter decides to retire, his career will be regarded as that of a true standout of the league. If he decides to continue playings, his time table to return to the field is a long one.
