13 Matt Carpenter 1B

Carpenter went 1-for-3 with a solo homer and a walk Saturday against the Cubs.

Carpenter crushed his 20th bomb of the season to put the Cardinals on the board in the eighth inning of a road loss. He's not quite the fantasy star he was a few years ago, but his power makes him an interesting option in leagues that allow for daily lineup changes.

Carpenter went 1-for-1 with an RBI double, four walks and two runs scored in Tuesday's 13-4 win over the Reds.

Carpenter roped a double in his lone at-bat and saw 27 total pitches. The veteran infielder's OBP jumped from .376 to .382 with this effort and he now has just 12 more strikeouts (110) than walks (98) this season. His combination of power and batting eye is what makes Carpenter such a valuable asset out of the leadoff spot for manager Mike Matheny, and both of those skills were on display here.

Carpenter went 1-for-3 with a solo homer and a walk Saturday during the Cardinals' 4-3 win over the Pirates.

Carpenter is getting over a shoulder injury that hobbled him for most of the past week, and this is a good sign that he's back to normal and could deliver more power down the stretch. His .239 batting average has disappointed his fantasy owners, but Carpenter continues to reach base at an elite pace (.377), which keeps him in favorable territory for OBP leagues.

Carpenter (shoulder) is in the lineup Friday against the Pirates.

Carpenter was removed from Monday's game due to tendinitis and has been withheld from the lineup each day since. However, he's ready to return to the field Friday, as he's starting at third base and hitting leadoff.

Carpenter (shoulder) is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Padres.

Carpenter will remain sidelined for a third straight contest as he continues to nurse a shoulder injury. The good news is an MRI revealed no significant damage, so he shouldn't be sidelined too much longer. In the meantime, Jose Martinez will draw another start at first base in his absence.