Chris Carpenter (shoulder, back) will begin a rehab assignment Monday at Double-A Springfield. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch was the first to pass that information along. Carpenter made it through a 100-pitch simulated game on Wednesday afternoon at Busch Stadium without feeling any pain or discomfort. He could join the Cardinals at some point in late July or early August, perhaps as their fifth starter.

Chris Carpenter (shoulder, back) told Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he would like to pitch in 2014. It was at the start of spring training that Carpenter seemed resigned to the fact that the nerve issue in his neck/shoulder wouldn't allow him to pitch again, but he's now thinking about extending his career indefinitely. Of course, he's yet to make it back in 2013 and is far from out of the woods, so any discussion of next season is premature. The veteran righty could be cleared for a rehab assignment before long.

Chris Carpenter (shoulder, back) threw five simulated innings in a successful bullpen session at Busch Stadium on Friday. Cardinals skipper Mike Matheny was particularly encouraged by the outing, stating that it was the best he's seen from Carpenter during his lengthy rehab. The next step will be for him to face live hitters, which could happen this week. He's still got a long way to go before returning, but this is a step in the right direction.

Chris Carpenter (shoulder, back) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Friday at Busch Stadium. If the workout goes well, Carpenter could be cleared to face live batters in a simulated game. If it doesn't go all that well, he will be asked to continue throwing bullpen sessions. The veteran right-hander is aiming to contribute at some point this season, but there's no telling when he might feel 100 percent healthy.

Chris Carpenter (shoulder, back) has been cleared to resume a throwing program. Carpenter has been shut down since earlier this week with lower back stiffness and will throw a light bullpen session Saturday before being reevaluated. The Cardinals originally hoped that Carpenter could be available in late June, but he likely won't be an option to return until after the All-Star break.

Chris Carpenter will undergo an examination on his back. Carpenter felt tightness during a bullpen session Sunday which is currently limiting his ability to throw. His symptoms are related to a previous back condition. It's too soon to say how long he'll be sidelined, but there should be some clarity on his status soon.

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said that Chris Carpenter felt some back stiffness during a long bullpen session Sunday. It's not clear if Carpenter will have to scale back his throwing program, but he'll likely need a few more bullpen sessions before the Cardinals think about the possibility of a rehab assignment. While it once looked like the veteran right-hander could return in late June, sometime during the second half appears more realistic at this point.

Chris Carpenter (shoulder) said he still has "a ways to go" before he returns. Carpenter threw another 20-25 pitch live session to hitters on Thursday, but the Cardinals are understandably taking it slowly with his recovery. There had been some thought that he could return by late June, but it's looking like it will probably be July before we see him. "They're going to put me through the longer course of my throws and simulateds and all that stuff before they send me out (on a rehab assignment)," Carpenter said. "They want to make sure that I recover. And that's to be expected."

Chris Carpenter (shoulder, neck) threw 40-plus pitches of live batting practice on Monday. "It was a good first step," said Carpenter, who has been throwing bullpens for the past six weeks. "Basically, it was the same exact thing that we've done the last two times except we threw some hitters in there." Carp indicated that he likely has a couple more live BP sessions before he'll be ready for a rehab assignment. Matt Adams, who was one of the hitters standing in on the session, was impressed with how the righty looked. "He was treating it like he was pitching in a game. Everything had movement," Adams said. "His curveball was sharp, his changeup had good fade to it and his fastball would run -- and he cut a couple, too."

Chris Carpenter (shoulder, neck) felt good during a 25-pitch bullpen session Wednesday. The Cardinals decided to slow down Carpenter's throwing program after a throwing session last week didn't go well, but the club is viewing it only as a minor speed bump. It's not clear when Carp will be cleared to face hitters.