Right-hander Chris Carpenter, rebounding from two years of arm problems and two surgeries, reeled off eight scoreless innings in his first three Grapefruit League outings, including four innings of two-hit ball against Boston.
Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan said of Carpenter, "I had no expectations. I had no idea what to expect. Now, if you had asked me what I hoped would happen ... so far, this is it." Carpenter, who probably had higher expectations than the team's staff, said, "Results-wise, it's obviously been pretty good. It's gone the way that I'd hoped so far."
In 2007, Carpenter had Tommy John elbow surgery after being hurt in the first game of the season. Last offseason he had a nerve near his elbow transposed, and he also had a nerve issue near his shoulder, but he has chosen not to have risky surgery to fix that.
"I'm healthy. That's what counts," Carpenter said.
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