Results tagged ‘ Matt Carpenter ’

Carpenter sent down, Sanchez unavailable

Two bits of news this morning:

* According to a club source, Matt Carpenter is the player on his way out today to make room for Kyle McClellan on the active roster. Carpenter will be optioned to Triple-A Memphis. Carpenter went 1-for-15 with a double, four walks and four strikeouts in seven games.

* Pitching coach Dave Duncan told KFNS 590 AM this morning that Eduardo Sanchez has some “tightness in his shoulder” and will be unavailable for a few days. I’ll obviously be chasing this today.

More to come on the site as the day goes on.

-M.

Kozma out; Hamilton, Carpenter in – UPDATED

The Cardinals are beefing up their bench with a pair of additions. Prior to Friday night’s game against the Cubs, the club will option shortstop Pete Kozma to Triple-A Memphis and recall first baseman/outfielder Mark Hamilton from Memphis. Also, third baseman Matt Carpenter’s contract will be purchased from Memphis, with the team likely to send out a pitcher to make room on the active roster for Carpenter.

The Cardinals are doing without outfielder Matt Holliday, who was placed on the disabled list on Thursday. That will provide more regular playing time for Allen Craig and Jon Jay, which in turn weakens the Cardinals’ bench. Bringing back Hamilton and adding Carpenter should help address that issue.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported late Thursday night that Kozma would be optioned, and a club official confirmed on Friday that Hamilton will be the player taking his roster spot. No official confirmation was available on Carpenter’s promotion. However, Mark Cohen, the sports information director at Carpenter’s alma mater, Texas Christian University, reported on Twitter that Carpenter has been called up.

Kozma, 23, appeared in 10 games during his first stint in the big leagues, mostly off the bench. He went 1-for-8 but drew three walks, and recorded a double for his first Major League hit.

Hamilton will be making his second appearance in St. Louis this year. He went 3-for-15 earlier in 2011. Over parts of three seasons at Triple-A, however, Hamilton has shown himself to be an offensive force. In 25 games at Memphis this year, he’s batting .391 with a .509 on-base percentage and a .552 slugging percentage. His career Triple-A line is .318/.409/.564 with 26 home runs in 143 games.

Carpenter was a Spring Training sensation and very nearly made the Major League roster out of camp. He got off to a slow start in the regular season, but is currently hitting .283 with a .421 OBP and a .387 SLG at Memphis. Carpenter was the Cardinals’ Minor League player of the year in 2010.

-M.

Wednesday camp tidbits: Waiting on a lineup

* With knuckleballer R.A. Dickey on the mound for the Mets, the Cardinals will not be sending out what you would consider an ‘A’ lineup today. However, it’s still not announced. Tyler Henley will be starting in right field, though, with Jon Jay moving to center. Andrew Brown will start at first. TLR said that Matt Holliday will be in there but did not commit to any other regulars.

* Albert Pujols, who had his foot stepped on during Monday’s game, and Colby Rasmus, who was hit in the hip by a pitch, are both out. But TLR said they’re both expected to play tomorrow — and he did not indicate that they’re out today BECAUSE of those dings.
* Jaime Garcia will start the game in Springfield, weather permitting.
* Daniel Descalso beat out Matt Carpenter for a variety of reasons, TLR said, but the two main ones were Descalso’s versatility and the desire for Carpenter to get at-bats. He said that in his mind, at least, the 40-man roster was not a factor.
* TLR said his worry with Jason Motte is Motte’s pitches, not his confidence.
* Today’s game is on ESPN.
And, finally, the playlist:
The Rolling Stones, “Dead Flowers”
Dramarama, “(I’d Like To) Volunteer, Please”
Letters to Cleo, “From Under the Dust”
Soul Coughing, “The Idiot Kings”
R.E.M., “So. Central Rain”
-M.

Saturday camp tidbits: Boggs, Freese, Berkman, Spagnuolo, etc

It’s another gorgeous day in Jupiter, a little bit cool with no clouds.

* Mitchell Boggs is scheduled to pitch today, and is a priority pitcher. They will get him an inning almost no matter what else happens in the game.
* David Freese will start tomorrow and Monday, the first time this spring that he gets back to back games.
* Lance Berkman isn’t expected to play the outfield until at least Thursday’s game against Florida. He’ll DH in games where that’s an option, or sit out, until then. 
* Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo is in camp today as a guest of TLR. 
* It’s no secret at this point, really, but TLR acknowledged today that Matt Carpenter has at least some shot at making the roster. I’ll be writing on this at more depth later today, but in short, he’s not just getting ABs for down the road. 
* Another player who has emerged this camp, John Gast, is a bit of a longer shot, but the manager also acknowledged that it’s not impossible that Gast could make the club. I’d definitely bet against it, but after a round of cuts yesterday, Gast is still here and some guys who looked like better shots are not.
Today’s playlist is the first five tracks from The Clash’s debut album (UK version, natch):
“Janie Jones”
“Remote Control”
“I’m So Bored with the U.S.A.”
“White Riot”
“Hate & War”
(that’ll wake ya up on a Saturday morning…)
-M.

Tuesday camp tidbits: Berkman and B games

* TLR said that Lance Berkman will be held out of pretty much all throwing for a few days to rest his sore elbow. He’s the starting DH today and won’t be back in the outfield for a few days. He also won’t throw in drills.

* For Thursday’s split-squad day, Kyle McClellan will pitch at home against Washington, while Jaime Garcia will start the game against the Mets at Port St. Lucie.
* No starting has been named for the Saturday game at home against the Astros.
* On March 9, the Cardinals and Braves will play a morning “B” game at the Braves complex, at Atlanta’s request.
* TLR had quite a bit of praise for Adron Chambers and Matt Carpenter this morning. Doesn’t mean either is going to make the club, but safe to say they’ve both made a good impression.
* Albert Pujols is out of today’s lineup but will play tomorrow and Thursday, then skip the trip to Kissimmee on Friday.
Today’s playlist:
Tanya Donelly, “World On Fire”
The Hold Steady, “Arms and Hearts”
R.E.M., “New Test Leper”
Aimee Mann, “How Am I Different”
The Jesus and Mary Chain, “Sidewalking”
-M.

Miller, Carpenter honored

The Cardinals were lauded for their 2009 Draft, and on Friday it became clearer why. A pair of 2009 Draftees earned the club’s Minor League player and pitcher of the year awards, announced on Friday morning.
First-rounder Shelby Miller, rated the club’s top prospect basically since the day he signed a professional contract, was named the top pitcher in the organization for the 2010 season. Matt Carpenter, a 13th-round selection in that same Draft, emerged as one of the fastest-rising players in the system and garnered top player laurels.
Both will be recognized at the annual St. Louis Baseball Writers’ Dinner, which is set for Sunday, Jan. 16 at the Millennium Hotel in downtown St. Louis.
Miller, who turned 20 after the season ended, was drafted out of a Texas high school and enjoyed a superb first full pro season pitching at Class A Quad Cities. The 19th overall selection in 2009, he went 7-5 with a 3.62 ERA in 24 starts at Quad Cities. Miller struck out 140 batters against 33 walks and permitted seven home runs all season.
He appeared in the XM All-Star Futures Game in Anaheim, turning in a respectable if brief showing in the Futures Game. Miller allowed an infield hit that was erased on a caught-stealing, and got a groundball out, before he was lifted.
Carpenter, who turns 25 later this month, was selected out of Texas Christian University. He played at three levels in 2009 and two in 2010. A third baseman, Carpenter began the ’10 season at Class A Palm Beach but quickly made his way to Double-A Springfield, and he kept hitting all the while. Overall in 2010, Carpenter batted .309 with a .418 on-base percentage and a .471 slugging percentage.
In 105 games at Springfield, Carpenter put up a .316/.412/.487 line, with 12 homers, 26 doubles, 53 RBIs and 76 runs scored. He also stole 11 bases in 13 attempts and drew 64 walks.
-M.
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