Matt Carpenter left the St. Louis Cardinals' win over the San Diego Padres Tuesday with what was described as tightness in his right side and could be an oblique strain, Major League Baseball's leading injury epidemic. That could leave the Cardinals without their rookie super-sub for a few weeks, and without anybody but Matt Adams to start at first base while Allen Craig sits on the 15-day disabled list and Lance Berkman gets his knee checked out.
No pressure, right? Adams has already been called upon to start against the left-handed Clayton Richard, who struck him out and induced a double play; altogether he's 2-10 in three consecutive starts, with two walks and two strikeouts. Without Carpenter Adams is the extent of the Cardinals' options at first base until Craig comes back, whereupon the Cardinals will have to decide whether they want to keep Adams up for the occasional spell against a right-hander or get him more at-bats in AAA and call up a player like Mark Hamilton until Carpenter is back.
Daniel Descalso is likely to take Carpenter's duties as backup third baseman without issue—perhaps opening up more playing time for the newly popular Tyler Greene—but if Carp hits the DL it'll be up to Matt Adams to spell Lance Berkman and Allen Craig.