Find a Long-Term Answer With Cardinals' Carpenter Gone for the Season

July 19, 2007 @ 16:00:00

By Bryce McRae
Edited by Nicholas Minnix

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Chris Carpenter (elbow) is set to undergo additional surgery on his elbow that will end his 2007 season and likely cause him to miss a significant amount of the 2008 season. Although details have not been released yet, according to the report, the surgery will be the dreaded Tommy John surgery. With Carpenter throwing in rehab outings just under two weeks ago, this is a nasty turn of events for Cardinals fans and those that had him in their fantasy leagues.

Although you likely already had someone to replace Carpenter, you make want to make additional plans for the long term. One pitcher you might want to take a look at is Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo. Gallardo will likely be in the Brewers' rotation for at least the next four weeks as he is replacing injury-prone starting pitcher Ben Sheets (finger). Gallardo started for the Brewers Thursday, July 19, and did not allow a run in six innings. He has made four starts since June 14, and in them (25 1/3 innings), he has allowed just six runs. His overall ERA sits at a tidy 2.34 while his WHIP is 1.01, and he has 31 strikeouts in 34 2/3 innings pitched this year. Gallardo is available in around 83 percent of fantasy leagues polled.

Another option to consider is Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Andrew Miller, who has solidified his hold on a spot in the Tigers' rotation in recent weeks. Miller currently has a 5-3 record with a 3.18 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP. He has pitched particularly well lately, allowing more than two earned runs in only one of his last five starts. He is available in around 94 percent of leagues polled.

Whoever you pick, realize that it's for the rest of the season (or longer in keeper leagues). As for Carpenter, this was a move you could have expected. Keep an eye on KFFL for updates on Carpenter's rehab.

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Bryce McRae
Bryce McRae is a Managing Editor with KFFL and has been involved in fantasy sports since 1999. He joined KFFL as a volunteer writer in March 2005 before becoming a Hot off the Wire Analyst in March 2006. He began working in his current capacity in September 2008. His work has appeared on fantasy sports sites such as Yahoo! and CBS Sportsline as well as in print. He graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2008 with a B.A. in History and U.S. Studies.

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