Braves reliever David Carpenter left Monday’s game in the top of the 12th inning with discomfort in his right biceps, in a bullpen that’s already been stretched to the limit lately.
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said the Braves medical staff would re-evaluate Carpenter on Tuesday before they make a roster decision.
“Hopefully we can dodge a bullet and we can lay off him a couple days,” Gonzalez said. “But we’ll know more in the morning.”
The Braves bullpen is already taxed. Not only did the bullpen have to help cover a four-game series in Colorado, the Braves just came home to play two 13-inning games in the past three days. And Jordan Walden just came off the disabled list because of a hamstring injury, so the Braves don’t want to work him too hard either.
“Obviously if Carpenter’s not (good) we’ll bring somebody up, but right now we haven’t made any of those decisions,” Gonzalez said.
Carpenter had just given up a bloop single to Domonic Brown on his 25th pitch of the night to lead off the 12th inning. He was facing his fifth batter of the game, after pitching a scoreless 11th in which he gave up a single and a walk.
Carpenter has struggled over the past two and a half weeks, while going 0-1 with a 14.54 ERA in his past nine outings. Entering Monday he’d given up seven earned runs and 16 hits in his previous 4 1/3 innings.
David Hale was the one left charged with the loss Monday night after giving up five runs (two earned) in the 13th inning. He had just taken the loss Saturday night after giving up five runs in the 13th inning, after going 2 1/3 innings that night.
“I think he’s pitched more than he’s pitched ever,” Gonzalez said. “He’s young kid who’s probably never been put through this stuff, where he’s pitched multiple innings, (gets) a day off and tries to crank it up again. Hopefully we keep having good outings by our starters and we could lay off a couple of those guys for two or three days in a row.”
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