WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Matt Carpenter doesn’t want to be viewed as a glorified mascot or the Cardinals’ clubhouse babysitter. He certainly doesn’t want his spot on the roster viewed as some form of charity. That spirit and a head full of steam carried Carpenter into and over the tarp as he chased down a foul ball along the wall on the first base side of CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches.
Carpenter, who later admitted that he thought he had more room before he’d hit the tarp, made the catch to secure an out for his starting pitcher, Miles Mikolas, and the Cardinals went on to earn an 8-5 win over the Washington Nationals in a Grapefruit League game on Saturday afternoon.
Carpenter started at first base and went 2 for 3 at the plate with a double and two RBIs. He’s now batting .333 this spring.
“You don’t want to be dead weight on the roster,†Carpenter said. “When you get the opportunity, you want to perform. I certainly understand my role. I take a lot of pride and joy out of the leadership part and the mentoring of the young guys. It makes me feel every day, having those conversations and coming to the ballpark.â€
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The Cardinals and Carpenter made it clear this winter that his return had as much to do with his veteran presence and his ability to provide leadership in a clubhouse that will feature a large crop of players still in the early stages of their careers in the majors.
After leaving the Cardinals following the 2021 season and playing for the New York Yankees in 2022 and the San Diego Padres in 2023, Carpenter welcomed the opportunity to return to the organization that drafted him and where he spent the first 11 years of his tenure in the majors. He garnered all three of his All-Star appearances, a Silver Slugger award and appeared in 50 playoff games during his first stint with the club.
Saturday standing outside the clubhouse in West Palm Beach, Carpenter described a peace of purpose in his daily routine this spring as he takes on the mentorship role that players like Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter, Matt Holiday, Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols held early in his career.
“There is almost a sense of ownership,†Carpenter said. “Where you feel like this organization has given so much to you and you’ve spent so much time here, you almost feel like you owe it to them to kind of give back. I just remember, as a young player, seeing guys that had worn this uniform for long time and the way they treated me and mentored me and the huge impact they had on me as a young player. To now be able to do that means the world.â€
Four of Carpenter’s six hits in exhibition games this spring training have been for extra bases.
In 2022 with the Yankees, Carpenter had a productive season in a limited role. He batted .305 with a .412 on-base percentage, a .727 slugging percentage, 15 home runs and nine doubles in 47 games (154 plate appearances).
Last season with the Padres, his production dropped off significantly. He slashed .176/.322/.319 in 76 games.
When he signed with the Cardinals this winter, he’d been working on his swing with Holliday, his former teammate and Cardinals Hall of Famer.
“I was really confident with where my swing was coming into spring,†Carpenter said. “… Last year when I broke my foot at the end of 2022, I spent the entire first part of the offseason in a boot. I didn’t get to have a normal offseason going into my first year in San Diego.
“Not to make excuses, but I got off to kind of a slow start. To be able to have a full offseason going into Matt’s — spending a bunch of time in Stillwater and getting a real opportunity to work — I felt really good coming into camp and I’ve been able to get off to a good start.â€
Mikolas allowed two runs on seven hits and one walk in six innings to earn the win. He struck out two.
Former Cardinal and current Nationals slugger Juan Yepez went 3 for 4 with a home run, two runs scored and two runs batted in against his old club. Yepez signed a minor-league contract with the Nationals that included a non-roster invitation to big-league camp this winter after the Cardinals non-tendered him.
Masyn Winn, Thomas Saggese and Cesar Prieto had two hits apiece for the Cardinals in the game.
From earlier ...
Miles Mikolas tries to continue his roll as the Cardinals take on the Nationals in Florida
Cardinals pitcher Miles Mikolas takes on the Washington Nationals on Saturday in his fourth Grapefruit League exhibition start this spring. Mikolas entered the day having allowed just two earned runs in his first 10 innings, and he’d also struck out 10 batters without a walk thus far.
Cardinals pitchers scheduled to take the mound in relief of Mikolas on Saturday at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches include potential opening day bullpen options Ryan Fernandez, Riley O’Brien, and Andrew Kittredge.
Prior to the game, Cardinals manager Olivera Marmol announced that reliever Keynan Middleton will begin the season on the injured list with a forearm strain. Middleton’s absence to start the season opens a spot in the bullpen for a pitcher who likely would’ve started the season in the minors.
The Cardinals traded for Kittredge, who garnered AL All-Star honors with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2021, this winter. They sent outfielder Richie Palacios to the Rays in exchange for Kittredge, who had Tommy John surgery in 2022.
Kittredge and Middleton were two of the most experienced additions the Cardinals made to their bullpen this winter. Each came into camp with 15 career saves in the majors. They figured to slot into the bullpen in set-up roles in front of closer Ryan Helsley.
Riley O’Brien, acquired from the Seattle Mariners in November in exchange for cash, has shown impressive velocity in spring training along with the ability to get swing and miss. He has five strikeouts in his six innings so far. He has average 10.32 strikeouts per 9 innings over the course of 163 appearances in the minors.
Ryan Fernandez, a Rule 5 Draft pick plucked out of the Boston Red Sox organization, has registered 10.50 strikeouts per 9 innings in 128 career appearances in the minors.
Here’s today’s lineup against the Nationals:
1. Dylan Carlson, Cf
2. Masyn Winn, SS
3. Matt Carpenter, 1B
4. Willson Contreras, C
5. Brandon Crawford, SS
6. Thomas Saggese, 2B
7. Cesar Prieto, 3B
8. Jared Young, LF
9. Matt Koperniak, RF
Pitcher: Miles Mikolas, RHP. Also listed as available out of the bullpen: RHP Ryan Fernandez, RHP Andrew Kittredge, RHP Riley O’Brien, RHP Kyle Leahy, RHP Luis Gastelum, RHP Dionys Rodriguez, RHP Chris Roycroft.
Cardinals relief pitcher Keynan Middleton has been temporarily shut down due to a forearm strain.
Cardinals top pitching prospect Tink Hence continues to build toward his goal of starting in the big leagues.
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