For once, Joe Strauss of the Post-Dispatch—seemingly their designated correspondent for player injuries, locker-room squabbling, Twitter feuds, and bad tidings—had good news to report Sunday morning, writing that Chris Carpenter, the St. Louis Cardinals' longtime ace, would begin throwing soon, with his eye still on a return after the All-Star Break. (Unnamed sources indicate his heart grew three sizes that day, at least until someone asked him about sabermetrics in his next chat session.)
Carpenter's shoulder is apparently sound, but after suffering from a nerve problem that's precluded throwing for months he won't be ready to start at the major-league level until after a round of arm-strengthening that, if Strauss's math is any indication, could take up to two months.
That's a long time to be without a pitcher who led the National League in innings pitched in the regular season and went on to throw 36 innings more in a postseason that solidified his standing as an all-time Cardinals great. In the meantime the Cardinals will likely continue to rely on Lance Lynn, who's emerged as a crucial piece of the rotation in his unintentional return from the bullpen.