Chris Carpenter (neck) threw a bullpen session Friday. Carp played catch Wednesday and long-tossed Thursday and evidently felt well enough to take it to the mound. It's good news for the right-hander, though it's still not clear when he'll be able to appear in a game. Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said Carp wouldn't necessarily have to face live hitters before appearing in a game, so it sounds like he could conceivably see some Grapefruit League action shortly. Even if he continues to progress, it still seems like a better bet that Carp will start the season on the DL or the Cards will at least hold him back until they need a fifth starter.

Chris Carpenter (neck) played catch Wednesday.

Chris Carpenter (neck) said Monday that he is not yet ready to begin throwing but is feeling better. Carpenter was diagnosed this weekend with a bulging cervical disc. It's been causing him discomfort for over a week, and could delay his regular season debut if it leaves him stalled for much longer. Lance Lynn is being stretched out as a starter in case the 36-year-old right-hander is not where he needs to be in early April.

Appearing on ESPN 101 St. Louis, Cardinals GM John Mozeliak said that the organization is considering a backup plan if Chris Carpenter (neck) is unavailable for the start of the regular season. Carpenter was diagnosed with a bulging cervical disc in his neck on Saturday. ''Right now, he's progressing,'' Mozeliak said. "Internally, we've discussed it [a backup plan]. We definitely think we need to implement that so I think over this week you'll see someone start to stretch out."

Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said Chris Carpenter (neck) is progressing and he hopes the right-hander can resume throwing again soon. The Cards are expected to come up with a plan for Carpenter, who has been diagnosed with a bulging cervical disc in his neck, sometime this week. Just to be safe, they'll also be stretching someone else out in case Carp isn't ready by the start of the season, though it's not clear at this point who that will be. The veteran right-hander has indicated that he expects to be ready by Opening Day.

Chris Carpenter has received an injection and been prescribed anti-inflammatory medication to address a bulging cervical disc in his neck. The diagnosis sounds bad, but Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that the Cardinals drew a sigh of relief with the diagnosis and Carpenter considers the ailment "a nuisance rather than a threat to his season" as a nerve issue might have been. "When you're thinking of what could have been some really bad (stuff), we can take care of this and move on," Carpenter said. The Cardinals are expected to come up with a plan for Carpenter this week, and we'll have a better idea at that point whether or not he has a shot to be ready by Opening Day. For what it's worth, Carp says he's "not concerned" about his readiness for April 4.

Chris Carpenter was diagnosed Saturday with a bulging cervical disc in his neck. The Cardinals haven't decided when the veteran right-hander is going to be able to resume throwing, but Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says a bulging disc is "not nearly as bad as nerve damage," which the Cards originally thought Carpenter had. He has yet to make an appearance in a Grapefruit League game this spring and is currently questionable for Opening Day.

The results from an exam of Chris Carpenter's neck have been sent to St. Louis to be reviewed by specialists. Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak says it's a "nerve-related" issue that Carp is dealing with. "They still need to get some of the information analyzed and compared with some past history," Mozeliak said. "We have to be patient and understand that it may take a few days before we determine what the future looks like." Although it's still possible it could turn out to be not that big of a deal, a nerve issue carries more risk for a potentially long-term problem than a muscular issue would. The Cards are hoping for a diagnosis sometime this weekend.

Chris Carpenter (neck) has been scratched from Monday's start. It's officially time to start worrying about his status for the beginning of the season. Carp has left Cardinals camp and will be re-evaluated by a Florida doctor. The veteran right-hander has been dealing with some neck stiffness for nearly a week and can't seem to shake it. That, combined with the fact that the team had already planned on limiting his action this spring due to a huge workload last year, makes him a risky fantasy proposition at this stage.

Chris Carpenter (neck) will not throw on Friday. Carpenter has been dealing with some neck stiffness for nearly a week, and it's possible he might be scratched from his first spring outing next Monday. At this point, it doesn't seem to be a big concern, and Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch said previously the Cards are "minimizing (the) situation." But, if Carp isn't ready on Monday, the odds that he starts the season on the DL obviously increase.