Bad news for the Cardinals: Chris Carpenter's neck hasn't improved, and the righty is flying back to St. Louis to have his symptoms -- which stem from a bulging disc -- examined.
While he hasn't been ruled out yet, it looks unlikely that Carpenter will be active for Opening Day. Lance Lynn is expected to slide into the rotation for however many starts Carpenter will miss. The 24-year-old pitched exclusively in relief with the Cardinals last year but did start 12 games in Triple-A, posting a 3.84 ERA with 64 strikeouts, 25 walks and two home runs allowed.
In his career, Carpenter has started 25 games against the Cubs with a 3.05 ERA while allowing a .702 OPS to opponents.