News
La Russa shuffles rotation for weekend
Smoltz, Carpenter and Wainwright will pitch against Cubs
By B.J. Rains / MLB.com
09/16/09 1:00 PM ET
ST. LOUIS -- Manager Tony La Russa said Wednesday that the Cardinals will skip Kyle Lohse this weekend and send John Smoltz, Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright to the mound against the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium.Smoltz missed Monday's start with shoulder tendinitis, but will return to the rotation on Friday in the series opener in place of Lohse, who will be given a few extra days to rest a forearm injury. The Cards plan to have Lohse start one of the games in Houston on the first stop of their upcoming nine-game road trip.
Carpenter will start with an extra day of rest on Saturday and Wainwright will pitch on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball on his normal fifth day.
"That's the way the rotation worked out," La Russa said. "We have a day off [Thursday], which allows Lohse to get a couple of extra days. Hopefully he will be ready for the Astros."
Carpenter is scheduled to get an extra day of rest for each of his three remaining regular-season starts -- Saturday against Chicago, at Colorado on Sept. 25 and at Cincinnati on Oct 1. That plan would also give the former National League Cy Young Award winner five days of rest heading into a potential Game 1 of the NL Division Series on Oct 7.
The current plan would also put Wainwright on track to start Game 2 on five days' rest on Oct 8.
Both Carpenter and Wainwright are in the running for the NL Cy Young Award with the Giants' Tim Lincecum. Carpenter is 16-4 with a 2.45 ERA, while Wainwright is 18-8 with a 2.59 ERA.
Smoltz is 1-1 with a 3.27 ERA in four starts since joining the Cardinals.
B.J. Rains is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
