Carpenter To Go on DL

If this turns into anything serious, it could keep the Central from becoming a complete runaway. Mulder, Suppan and Marquis have a combined ERA of 4.90, leaving Sidney Ponson (4-0, 2.92) as the next-best thing. Not sure of the Cardinals bats can carry them all year.

But is there really anyone else in the division ready to compete? The Brewers have a shot, but the Reds will likely fall back down to earth, the Cubs just kinda suck, and the Astros aren't really a very good team either. The Cards probably won't win 100 games again, but I think they're still going to be the division champs

The Brewers are two games over .500 to this point with very subpar pitching, mostly because of the same thing the Cards will now have to deal with: injuries. Two starters in Ben Sheets and Tomo Ohka are on the DL, and their most likely backup, Rick Helling, is also on the DL. Being two games over .500 using guys like Ben Hendrickson and Dana Eveland certainly show you that this team is ready to compete when entirely healthy, which should happen sometime in June. If Carpenter is gone for any extended amount of time, I'd say that the Cards will have a run for their money, but I still don't see them losing the division.