Cardinals' Chris Carpenter could begin throwing program by mid-June - SportingNews.com

Injured St. Louis Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter could be cleared to throw in about a month, Fox Sports Midwest reports.

Carpenter was shut down in spring training because of a nerve issue that resulted in neck pain and shoulder weakness. He hasn’t thrown off a mound since mid-March.

Chris Carpenter could be back in a St. Louis Cardinals uniform by early August. (AP Photo)

“If I had to guess, sometime in mid-June hopefully we’ll be ready to start thinking about a throwing program,” general manager John Mozeliak. “His strength is getting stronger and that’s measurable, so that’s something everybody is looking at as a positive.”

Once he is cleared to throw, Carpenter likely will need six weeks before he is ready to make his Cardinals debut. That means he would be back in action by Aug. 1 or so at the earliest.

Carpenter, 37, went 11-9 with a 3.45 ERA in 34 starts during the 2011 regular season and was 4-0 with a 3.25 ERA in six postseason starts. The combined 273 1/3 innings were a career high.