St. Louis Cardinals first baseman/designated hitter Matt Carpenter (oblique) will serve as the DH for Triple-A Memphis on Friday on his minor-league rehab assignment, and he said if everything goes well, he will join the Cardinals in Milwaukee on Saturday for their weekend series against the division-rival Brewers. In five rehab games on the farm, the 38-year-old veteran left-handed hitter has gone 4-for-17 with two home runs, so he appears to be swinging the bat well. He has been sidelined since early April with a right-oblique strain. When he's back in St. Louis, he's merely going to be a lefty bat off the bench who can occasional start as the DH against right-handed pitching. The three-time All-Star should only be rostered in deep NL-only fantasy leagues.
St. Louis Cardinals first baseman/designated hitter Matt Carpenter (oblique) is moving his minor-league rehab assignment to Triple-A Memphis, according to manager Oliver Marmol. Memphis was off on Monday and will return to action on Tuesday. In two games with Double-A Springfield over the weekend, Carpenter went 1-for-6 with an RBI and two runs scored. The 38-year-old veteran has been on the injured list since April 2 with a right-oblique strain. The three-time All-Star is getting close to a return to the major-league lineup, but he offers virtually zero upside for those playing fantasy after slashing .176/.322/.319 with five home runs and 31 RBI in 76 games last year with the San Diego Padres. At best, he'll be an option at DH for the Cardinals against right-handed pitching when he returns.
St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Matt Carpenter (oblique) received a platelet-rich injection on Monday for his strained right oblique, according to manager Oliver Marmol. The plan is for Carpenter to have three days of no activity followed by hitting coach thrown batting practice and then machine work before they look at getting him live at-bats. The 38-year-old veteran had three hits in 10 at-bats over three games at the beginning of the season before getting hurt and landing on the injured list. When healthy, Carpenter will strictly be a bench bat and a DH option for the Cards when they are facing right-handed pitching. In 76 games with the San Diego Padres in 2023, he slashed a miserable .176/.322/.319 with five home runs and 31 RBI.
St. Louis Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter (oblique) is currently traveling with the team during their three-game series against the Oakland Athletics, and he took infield practice in Arizona this past weekend. Carpenter was put on the 10-day injured list due to a strained right oblique ahead of April 4's game against the Miami Marlins, and it would appear that a return in late April could be in the cards. After signing a two-year deal this past offseason with the team that drafted him, the 38-year-old former All-Star made St. Louis' Opening Day roster following a strong spring that saw him hit .346 (9-for-26) with five doubles, one home run, and five RBI in 13 outings. He figures to serve as the Cards' primary designated hitter against right-handed pitching upon his eventual return, but there's no clear-cut fantasy beneficiary of his absence at this time.
St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Matt Carpenter has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right oblique strain. Catcher Pedro Pages has been called from Triple-A Memphis in a corresponding move. The veteran returned to the organization where he enjoyed his most productive seasons for the 2024 campaign and is 3-for-10 (.300) with a run scored through his first 11 plate appearances on the young season. After a resurgent season with the Yankees in 2022, Carpenter hit just .176 with five homers across 76 appearances with the Padres in the 2023 season. Alec Burleson is likely to handle everyday designated hitter duties in Carpenter's absence.
Matt Carpenter Scratched From Grapefruit League Lineup
St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Matt Carpenter (wrist) was scratched from the team's Grapefruit League lineup on Monday due to a bruised left wrist after being hit by a pitch in a previous game over the weekend. Carpenter's injury doesn't sound very serious, but the Cardinals will take it easy on the 38-year-old left-hander for a day or two. Carpenter essentially became a bench coach for the San Diego Padres last year after hitting just .176/.322/.319 with five home runs, 31 RBI and 67 strikeouts in 237 plate appearances over 76 games played. It was a big disappointment after he hit 15 home runs in 2022 with the Yankees before getting hurt. It's unlikely at this point that Carpenter will have a resurgence as he returns to St. Louis.
Free-agent designated hitter Matt Carpenter has agreed to a one-year deal with the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday that is worth $740,000, according to a source. The Atlanta Braves will be responsible for the remainder of his $5.5 million guarantee. The 38-year-old Carpenter was originally drafted by the Cardinals in the 13th round in 2009 and spent the first 11 years of his career with the team, including being named to the All-Star team three times. It was a rough year for him with the San Diego Padres in 2023, though, slashing .176/.322/.319 with five homers and 31 RBI in 76 games as mostly a veteran bat off the bench. He was traded to the Braves earlier this winter before being released. Carpenter will probably sit the bench most of the time while occasionally serving as the team's DH against right-handed pitching.
The Atlanta Braves have released designated hitter Matt Carpenter. The veteran was acquired last week in a trade with the San Diego Padres but his inclusion in the deal was attached to his $5.5 million contract for the 2024 season that the Padres wanted to get off their books while the Braves were able to take on that deal in order to acquire reliever Ray Kerr. Atlanta had been trying to flip Carpenter but was unable to do so and have ultimately decided to release him. The lefty-swinging DH platooned out of that spot in the 2023 season with the Padres but limped to a .176 average with five homers across 237 trips to the plate. Carpenter's poor season at the plate came on the heels of a resurgent .305 average and 15 home runs in just 47 games with the Yankees in 2022 but his bat regressed well below the league average a season ago.
Designated hitter Matt Carpenter is going from the San Diego Padres to the Atlanta Braves in a three-player swap. The Braves also acquired relief pitcher Ray Kerr. Carpenter, 38, resurrected his career in 2022 with the New York Yankees, though he couldn't replicate that success for the Padres last season. Atlanta will hope to get another productive season out of the veteran, even though it should be in a limited role. Barring an injury to a Braves everyday player, Carpenter shouldn't be rostered but in the deepest of NL-only leagues. Kerr is a 29-year-old with a 5.06 ERA and 4.61 FIP, indicating he holds no value for fantasy purposes. He'll merely be depth for the Braves.
Matt Carpenter To Injured List, Ji-Man Choi Activated
San Diego Padres infielder Matt Carpenter (elbow) has been placed on the 10-day injured list on Friday. The veteran slugger is expected to miss the rest of the season while dealing with elbow inflammation. In a corresponding move, first baseman Ji-Man Choi (ankle) has been activated from the injured list. Choi recently fractured his ankle, but appears ready to play after missing a few weeks. Since joining the Padres, Choi is 0-for-11 at the plate, so fantasy managers shouldn't rush to grab him off the waiver wire right now.
