Injured Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter is going to have surgery on his shoulder in order to address the thoracic outlet syndrome-related issues that have been bothering him for months. The surgery ends any possibility of a return to the Cardinals during the 2012 season.
Surgery to alleviate Carpenter's thoracic outlet syndrome is now considered a necessity, whether or not he pitched this season. Given the halting pace of his return from a condition that has plagued him since spring training, Carpenter has opted to seek the procedure sooner than later in order to optimize his chances of pitching next February. A date for the surgery has not been announced.
Typical rehab time for this procedure is six months.
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