Cardinals’ Carpenter has MRI exam, to miss another start

 

PITTSBURGH (AP) -Chris Carpenter underwent an MRI exam in St. Louis because of his ongoing problems with an inflamed right elbow and will miss a second consecutive start Tuesday for the World Series champion Cardinals.
Carpenter, the NL Cy Young Award winner with a 21-5 record in 2005, hasn’t pitched since allowing five runs in six innings during a 6-1 loss to the New York Mets in the majors’ season-opening game April 1. He was also scratched from a scheduled start Friday against Houston.
Carpenter flew with the Cardinals from Houston to Pittsburgh after Sunday’s game, but stayed on the chartered plane because it was returning to St. Louis.
“We’re not counting on him for tomorrow,” manager Tony La Russa said Monday.
With Carpenter out, the Cardinals will call up left-hander Randy Keisler, a former New York Yankees farmhand, to start Tuesday night’s game in Pittsburgh. The Cardinals must make a roster move to fit Keisler onto their 25-man roster.
The 30-year-old Keisler signed with St. Louis during the offseason as a free agent. He had no decisions and a 4.50 ERA in 11 games last season with the Oakland Athletics. He is 4-4 with a 6.82 ERA in 51 games over five major league seasons, making 17 starts, for the Yankees, Padres, Reds and Athletics.
“It was his day to pitch. He’s got some experience,” La Russa said.
Keisler gave up one run and five hits in five innings in his only start this season for Triple-A Memphis. He was effective during spring training for St. Louis, allowing only an unearned run and three hits over eight innings in four games.
Carpenter, who turns 32 on April 27, initially complained of soreness a day after opposing the Mets. He was examined by the team’s medical staff on April 2, but did not undergo an MRI that day. Carpenter said the elbow didn’t bother him during the Mets game, but he began experiencing swelling afterward.
Carpenter was an All-Star in each of the last two seasons, going 15-8 last season, and is the only remaining starter from St. Louis’ season-opening rotation a year ago. He has a 100-69 career record in 246 games with the Blue Jays and Cardinals during a career that began in 1997 with Toronto.