10DMatt Carpenter
1B/DH STL
Fri 4/26/24 5:20 PM

Carpenter (oblique) took swings on the field before Friday's game against the Mets, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
Carpenter had been shut down from activity after receiving a PRP injection in his right oblique Monday. He will swing again before Saturday's game, at which point the Cardinals will decide whether or not to send the 38-year-old veteran out on a rehab assignment.

10DMatt Carpenter
1B/DH STL
Tue 4/23/24 10:47 AM

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Monday that Carpenter received a platelet-rich plasma injection for his strained right oblique, Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
EDGE Analysis
The Cardinals will have Carpenter rest for the next three days to allow the injection to take effect. If all goes well, Carpenter will resume hitting on the field later this week, and then face a high-velocity pitching machine before he starts getting at-bats in a game setting. Heading into the season, Carpenter didn't look as though he would be in store for much of a role before being placed on the 10-day injured list April 4, but he could have an opportunity to see reps at designated hitter if Nolan Gorman (.610 OPS, 38.1 percent strikeout rate in 84 plate appearances) and Alec Burleson (.549 OPS in 52 plate appearances) fail to show improvement in the weeks to come.

10DMatt Carpenter
1B/DH STL
Sun 4/21/24 12:48 PM

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Sunday that Carpenter (oblique) is still at least a few days away from starting his rehab assignment, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
EDGE Analysis
Carpenter took swings during batting practice both Friday and Saturday. Marmol noted that those sessions went well for Carpenter, but the veteran first baseman could need upwards of a week before beginning his rehab assignment. Carpenter has been on the Cardinals' 10-day IL since April 2 after straining his right oblique.

10DMatt Carpenter
1B/DH STL
Fri 4/19/24 6:25 PM

Carpenter (oblique) took swings during batting practice Friday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
EDGE Analysis
Carpenter began taking infield practice last weekend, and Friday marks the first time the 38-year-old veteran has participated in batting practice. He remains without an official timetable, but he could head to the minors for a rehab assignment relatively soon if he's able to continue swinging without any issues.

10DMatt Carpenter
1B/DH STL
Mon 4/15/24 6:55 PM

Carpenter (oblique) is currently traveling with the Cardinals and took infield practice in Arizona over the weekend, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
EDGE Analysis
Sidelined since early April with a right oblique strain, Carpenter seems to be making progress in his recovery, though it's unclear where he stands in his hitting progression. With that, a return timetable is still up in the air for the 14-year veteran. Carpenter appeared in three games -- including a couple starts at DH -- for the Cardinals early on this season, going 3-for-10 with three singles and a run scored.

10DMatt Carpenter
1B/DH STL
Thu 4/4/24 2:33 PM

The Cardinals placed Carpenter on the 10-day injured list Thursday with a right oblique strain, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
EDGE Analysis
Carpenter's move to the injured list is retroactive to Tuesday, so he will be eligible to return beginning April 12. The 38-year-old has played in just three of St. Louis' seven games so far, but losing him is another hit to the Cardinals' depth, as the team is already dealing with a handful of injuries to begin the year. Pedro Pages was recalled from Triple-A Memphis in a corresponding move.

10DMatt Carpenter
1B/DH STL
Thu 2/29/24 8:20 AM

Carpenter (wrist) is in the lineup for Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
EDGE Analysis
The veteran was hit by a pitch in his spring debut, but he escaped with only a contusion and is now ready to return after a few days off. While he made three All-Star appearances with the Cardinals earlier in his career, at this stage Carpenter is in the twilight of his playing days and hoping to stick around throughout the season as a bench bat.

10DMatt Carpenter
1B/DH STL
Tue 2/27/24 10:38 AM

Carpenter (wrist) is hoping to return to the Grapefruit League lineup Thursday against the Nationals, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
EDGE Analysis
Carpenter was a late scratch ahead of Monday's game against the Marlins due to a left wrist contusion, which he suffered when he was hit by a pitch Saturday. He will require a few days of rest but is expected to be fine.

10DMatt Carpenter
1B/DH STL
Mon 2/26/24 1:51 PM

Carpenter was scratched from the lineup for Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins because of a left wrist contusion, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
EDGE Analysis
Carpenter was hit on the wrist by a pitch in a game over the weekend and is evidently still feeling the effects. The Cardinals are seemingly viewing Carpenter as day-to-day.

10DMatt Carpenter
1B/DH STL
Fri 1/19/24 12:55 PM

Carpenter signed a one-year contract with the Cardinals on Friday.
EDGE Analysis
The 38-year-old slashed just .176/.322/.319 last season with the Padres before being traded to Atlanta over the offseason and then released. He's owed $5.5 million in 2024 but the Cardinals will be responsible only for the veteran minimum. Carpenter could conceivably see time time in the designated hitter spot in St. Louis, but it'll be difficult for the club to justify playing time for him over younger options.