Jaime Garcia will have 'no restrictions' in spring training

Garcia went 7-7 for St. Louis in 2012. (US Presswire)

The Cardinals lost ace Chris Carpenter for the season due to continued arm trouble, it was announced earlier this week, but the remaining members of the rotation will have "no restrictions" in camp according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. That includes Jaime Garcia, who missed more than two months of last season with a partial tear in his shoulder.

“I'm only worrying about today,” said the left-hander to Goold. “Today it's been good. They told me there are no limitations [this spring] as far as I know. I'm ready for no limitations. I'm ready to come in and be like a normal guy.”

Garcia, 26, was lifted from a game with discomfort three times last year. He opted to rehab the tear in his shoulder rather than have offseason surgery. Garcia is no stranger to arm problems, having missed the entire 2009 season due to Tommy John surgery. He went 7-7 with a 3.92 ERA in 20 starts last year but managed to go 13-7 with a 3.56 ERA in 32 starts in 2011.

With Carpenter out, the Cardinals will head into camp with Garcia, Adam Wainwright, Lance Lynn and Jake Westbrook penciled into the rotation. Young right-handers Shelby Miller, Trevor Rosenthal and Joe Kelly figure to compete for the fifth starter's role in spring training.

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