STL Post-Dispatch: Carp[enter] considered for relief role

With the schedule running out of games and the rotation running out of starts, the Cardinals have approached Chris Carpenter about returning to the team as a reliever, pitching coach Dave Duncan said Friday.

Carpenter threw a 60-pitch session Friday afternoon and left it saying he felt as good or better than in several of the starts he made. But with only one month to go in the regular season and the likelihood he could only squeeze two or three starts from Carpenter into the month, Duncan said he talked with Carpenter about finding a way for him to pitch more regularly and more immediately.

That could mean time in the bullpen.

“He may not come back as a starter,” Duncan said. “It is important for him to pitch before the season ends.”

Carpenter, who is recovering from a muscle strain in his right shoulder, is open to the possibility.