Carpenter (back), who continued his hitting program Thursday, is expected to only play first base upon his return, Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

EDGE Analysis

Carpenter has yet to see his first Grapefruit League action while tending to his lower back problems, although he did continue his hitting program in the batting cages for the third straight day Thursday. The original projection for the veteran's return to action was mid-March, but Carpenter feels that timeline is overly cautious and that he'll be able to put in two full weeks of spring training games. Upon his return, he's highly likely to be limited to just playing first base as opposed to multiple positions, which had been discussed at one point this winter. The reason for the change in plan is physical in nature, but it concerns Carpenter's 2017 shoulder issues more than his current injury. "The shoulder is always something we're concerned about," manager Mike Matheny said. "We're trying to get his back right and he's also trying to get his shoulder into a really good place. But that (shoulder) might be something that would push it more toward first base than third."