Chris Carpenter talking about his neck/shoulder/nerve issues

Chris Carpenter has spent the past few weeks strengthening his shoulder and preparing for a throwing program. He said his neck and shoulder feel great, but the true test will come when he picks up a baseball.  In 2004, Carpenter was sidelined with a similar nerve-related injury late in the season and didn’t pitch against the Red Sox in the World Series. 

“Just a lot of rehab right now. We’re taking our time,” he said. “There was a neck issue that affected the nerves in my arm. With my past history, we’re slowing everything down and getting everything working properly ... To be honest with you, with everything that’s gone on in my career, I’m playing with fire all the time. I’m OK with it. You deal with injuries in this business. You never want an injury to end your career, but you deal with it all the time in this business. Fortunately, we have great trainers and doctors that get you back on the field.”

Asked if he’ll be ready to pitch in the 2012 postseason, he said, “I think I’ll be back before that, to be honest with you. I just can’t answer that question until I start throwing again.”