Chris Carpenter will undergo elbow ligament replacement surgery sometime next week and will miss the remainder of the season. He’ll undergo the infamous Tommy John surgery and could actually miss a big chunk of 2008 as well. "He's as good as anybody out there," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "We're going to miss him. Everybody knows what he means to us." In five postseason starts last year, the 2005 NL Cy Young winner went 3-1, helping the Cardinals win the World Series with eight scoreless innings in a 5-0 victory over Detroit in Game 3. He is 51-18 with a 3.10 ERA in 93 starts for St. Louis over the last three seasons. From the start of 2004 through the end of '06, only Johan Santana and Roy Oswalt (55) had more wins.
Speaking of Oswalt, the Astros ace will miss his scheduled start Wednesday against the Dodgers because of soreness in his upper chest that developed Friday night in Pittsburgh. The two-time 20-game winner threw his usual between-starts bullpen session Sunday, but still felt some discomfort in cartilage located between his sternum and rib cage. He is scheduled to start again July 31 in Atlanta, meaning he would go 11 days between starts. "If all goes well, I don't think Roy will need more than one start," manager Phil Garner said. "Roy felt it a little bit (Sunday). It was a little bit better, but it's probably better this way." Oswalt's 107th career victory Friday moved him past Nolan Ryan and tied him with J.R. Richard for fourth place in club history. Matt Albers (2-4) will start Wednesday against Los Angeles in Houston.
Jon Lester is slated on Monday, nearly a year after his rookie season ended because he was diagnosed with cancer. The southpaw is scheduled to replace Julian Tavarez for Monday's game at Cleveland. "I don't think it really has sunken in yet, and I don't think it will sink in until tomorrow when I get on the mound," Lester said Sunday. Lester was 7-2 with a 4.76 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 81 1/3 innings last year after being recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket and went 4-5 with a 3.61 ERA with Class A Greenville and Pawtucket. Julian Tavarez, 5-8 with a 5.27 ERA in 18 starts, will now work out of the bullpen.
Jose Valentin landed on the disabled list Saturday for the second time this season because of a broken shin. The veteran was optimistic he’d play again in 2007. “I'm pretty sure that this team is going to be playing all the way through the World Series, so hopefully I'll be able to play in the postseason," Valentin said. "That's the good thing about it. Hopefully, I can be in a situation to help the team win.” The injury occurred in the fourth inning Friday against the Dodgers when Valentin fouled a pitch off his leg. The ball struck him just below the brace he had been wearing for the past 5 1/2 weeks since he partially tore a ligament in his knee. An inch or two higher, and he'd still be playing. Ruben Gotay will get the brunt of the starts at second base and is worth picking up in all leagues with his cool .350 average. Anderson Hernandez was recalled from Triple-A New Orleans Saturday to fill the vacant roster spot. He and newly acquired Marlon Anderson can also play there.
Jason Giambi (foot) took batting practice Saturday and is hoping to rejoin the team in early August. "Maybe a little sooner just depending on how fast things go," Giambi said. "I have no pain. That's going to be the biggest part. Everything is great so far." Giambi has been sidelined since May 30 after tearing tissue in the foot. He took 20 swings in a batting cage and could start hitting on the field in the next few days. Giambi is hitting .262 with seven homers and 23 RBIs. His foot began bothering him soon after he played the field for the first time on April 28, and he hit .117 in May with three homers and six RBIs.
The Twins placed Michael Cuddyer on the DL Friday because of a sprained right thumb. He was hurt in Wednesday's game against Detroit when he made a hard slide into second base to break up a double play and hit his hand on the bag. An MRI exam on Friday revealed ligament damage that is expected to require 10 to 14 days of recovery. Cuddyer, who had four hits on Wednesday and is batting .289 with 10 homers and 56 RBIs, was batting cleanup. Justin Morneau will move from fifth to fourth while he's out. Outfielder Rondell White is also nearing a return to the Twins. The often-injured 35-year-old strained his right calf muscle while running out of the dugout just four games into the season. He re-injured it three weeks later and has been rehabbing that hamstring injury since.
Mike Piazza was activated from the shelf on Friday to retake his spot as the team’s DH. He had been on the DL since May 3 with a sprained right shoulder. The game’s all-time home run leader by a catcher went 10-for-26 during a rehab assignment at Triple-A Sacramento and Single-A Stockton, all as a DH. Piazza returns in the middle of his second longest homerless streak. Since hitting a home run on April 5, he's gone 22 games and 86 at-bats without a long ball. In his first two games back this weekend, Piazza went 0-for-4 and then 2-for-3 with a walk and RBI. With fantasy catcher eligibility, he’s still a fantastic option behind the dish.
Steve Trachsel was activated on Friday and then started Saturday, allowing nine hits and four runs in 5 1/3 innings. He was also handed the loss, falling to 5-7. Trachsel, who was out with a strained gluteus muscle, had been sidelined since June 29. The Orioles optioned left-hander Garrett Olson to Triple-A Norfolk on Thursday to make room for Trachsel. Olson was 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA in two starts.
Jason Simontacchi (elbow) was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Friday. Simontacchi was scheduled to start Friday night's game with Colorado, but was scratched on Thursday. He is 6-7 with a 6.37 ERA in 13 starts. The move is retroactive to July 16. The Nationals will recall right-hander Chris Booker from Columbus on Saturday. Booker is 1-4 with a 3.83 ERA with 24 saves for the Triple-A team.
The Cubs put Daryle Ward on the DL Friday with a torn right calf muscle and activated closer Ryan Dempster. Ward, who has batted .333 in 47 games this season, had been filling in at first base while Derrek Lee serves a five-game suspension. He hopes to return in early August. Dempster, who had been on the 15-day DL since June 26 with a left oblique strain, is 16-for-18 in saves this season with a 3.38 ERA. He had two scoreless rehab stints for Iowa. Get him back in your starting lineups for week 18.
Akinori Otsuka was put on the DL Thursday after an MRI exam determined he has inflammation in his forearm that is causing pain in his elbow. "I'm relieved," said Otsuka. "A ligament is a big problem. This is a muscle and it just needs rest." Otsuka is 2-1 with a 2.51 ERA and four saves in 34 appearances this season. He had 32 saves last year but returned to a setup role after the Rangers acquired Eric Gagne during the offseason.
The Cardinals activated Jim Edmonds from the DL Thursday after the he sat out 26 games with a pinched nerve in his lower back. Edmonds was hitting .238 with seven homers and 24 RBIs with the chronic injury.
The Devil Rays activated closer Al Reyes from the shelf Wednesday. He had been sidelined since July 3 because of a mild rotator cuff strain. He was 1-1 with 17 saves and a 4.09 ERA in 34 games before going on the DL.
The Braves activated John Smoltz from the DL and he was able to make a start on Wednesday, throwing seven scoreless innings while striking out 11. He went on the DL July 6 with shoulder inflammation. The veteran, who was named to the NL All-Star team for the eighth time earlier this month, got the no decision, but lowered his ERA to 2.88. The Braves made room for Smoltz on the 25-man roster by sending reliever Joey Devine to Triple-A Richmond.
Ben Sheets will miss 4-to-6 weeks after an ultrasound Monday revealed a partial tear of the tissue surrounding the tendon in his right middle finger. He left his start Saturday night in the fourth inning after he felt something pop while throwing a 3-2 pitch that Colorado's Todd Helton fouled off. They called up Grant Balfour to take his place. The ace will rest for 10 to 14 days and then begin to throw with a splint. "What we're going to do is we're going to rest him for a couple of days and see if his finger feels better and then we'll start him on a rehab program," said Brewers manager Ned Yost. "How long we're going to rest him depends on how long it takes for the finger to feel a little better." Sheets made the National League All-Star team and is 10-4 with a 3.39 earned run average. Rookie Yovani Gallardo replaced Sheets in the BrewCrew’s rotation and was victorious Thursday against the Diamondbacks, hurling six shutout innings. He’ll get two trips to the hill in week 17.