JUPITER C.C. Sabathia Jersey , Fla. (AP) — Even as Matt Carpenter’s return to Grapefruit League play is delayed, both the team and the third baseman insist the lingering back tightness is no big deal.“If this was the middle of the season and these games counted I would be just working through some of the soreness and tightness that I’m going through, but I don’t feel the need to do that and go back to 70 percent because I’m pushing through a spring training game,” Carpenter said.Originally expected to return on Wednesday, Carpenter now may not return until Sunday.Manager Mike Shildt doesn’t believe the tightness will lead to Carpenter missing opening day next Thursday at Milwaukee.“It’s felt good the last three days,” Shildt said. “Really positive. We just want to make sure we’re progressing, nip it in the bud http://www.yankeesfanproshop.com/authentic-giancarlo-stanton-jersey , being smart. We don’t want it to flare up and miss any time in Milwaukee.”Carpenter hasn’t appeared in a game since Friday. He originally experienced the back tightness on Saturday during fielding drills.He underwent an MRI in recent days which Carpenter said showed his back is in better shape than last year, when it bothered him throughout spring leading to a slow start to the season.“Because of it being early in the year and we’re about to break, I’m not pushing through a little tight back,” Carpenter said.Carpenter expects to remain in Jupiter when the Cardinals break camp on Sunday, skipping the team’s Monday exhibition game at Triple-A Memphis. He’ll rejoin St. Louis in Milwaukee the day prior to the March 28 season opener.A three-time All-Star, Carpenter is hitting .179 with three homers in 33 plate appearances this spring.“I feel like my swing and my at-bats are where they need to be,” Carpenter said. “I had enough work before that as far as playing and defense to where a day or two would be good.”Carpenter’s absence over the past week prevented Shildt from fielding his expected opening day lineup at any point this spring. For Shildt Andy Pettitte Jersey , only two batting order spots are set: Carpenter at leadoff and Marcel Ozuna at cleanup.With Carpenter out, Dexter Fowler batted leadoff, followed on Thursday by Paul Goldschmidt and Paul DeJong.Fowler smashed New York starter Domingo German’s first pitch over the right field wall for his first spring homer. Fowler hit a two-run homer in the second inning.Ozuna also hit his first homer of the spring, a solo shot to left in the third. We have our initial initial-out-getter of the 2019 Championship Season"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Brewers Rumors and SpeculationConversation StartersWPA Game RecapsTransactionsLatest NewsMLB Spring TrainingMilwaukee Brewers NewsChase Anderson will start the Brewers’ first Cactus League gameNew,22commentsWe have our initial initial-out-getter of the 2019 Championship SeasonCSTShareTweetShareShareChase Anderson will start the Brewers’ first Cactus League gameJoe Camporeale-USA TODAY SportsAs the reigning, defending, undisputed Cactus League champions get ready for their first spring game of the season Gary Sanchez Jersey , we now know who will be taking the ball first tomorrow afternoon.Craig Counsell says it will be last season’s regular season Opening Day starter getting in the first pitches of the spring.Anderson was also the one to throw the first live BP pitches of the spring the other day, which may have been a clue he was on track for the “start:”It’s way too early to try to line up the rotation to see who’s on track to start the regular season opener (the safe bet would likely be Jhoulys Chacin, though), and Anderson is almost guaranteed to only throw one inning in his first appearance of the spring, but this could end up being an important spring for him as he tries to bounce back from a mildly disappointing 2018 season in which he never quite got going and saw him get pulled from the rotation before the end of the regular season (and left off the postseason roster altogether).The Brewers aren’t the type of team to make major roster decisions based on spring performance, but looking at things like Anderson’s velocity and location toward the end of camp — both of which were off for almost the entirety of the 2018 season — could give us a better idea on which version of him we could expect.