(MCT) — ST. LOUIS — The bulletin Tuesday that longtime St. Louis Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter was going to miss the season should not have been earth-shattering news. Carpenter had missed nearly four full seasons in St. Louis with an assortment of shoulder, elbow and nerve issues that all required surgery.

But the most recent dispatch that came down had a finality to it. General manager John Mozeliak, who had been called by Carpenter last Friday when the latter was experiencing considerable discomfort after throwing some bullpen sessions, said during a news conference that he didn’t expect Carpenter to be pitching for the Cardinals this season, or pitching any more at all, actually.