Kline’s Injury Puts His Status in Doubt

St. Louis Cardinal reliever Steve Kline’s status for the rest of the National League championship series was in doubt Friday after he traveled to Indianapolis to see a hand specialist.

Kline aggravated a torn tendon in the index finger of his throwing hand Thursday during the sixth inning of Game 2, when he gave up consecutive singles to Jose Vizcaino and Brad Ausmus before leaving the game.

“It was swelling yesterday,” St. Louis Manager Tony La Russa said Friday. “He was hurting when the game was over.”

If Kline was unable to pitch, the Cardinals would be left with Ray King as their only left-handed reliever.

Kline has pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings in the postseason.

He sat out 28 games because of a strained groin and the finger injury before returning from the disabled list Sept. 29.

“He wasn’t quite as good as he’s been, but he was effective,” La Russa said.

For the regular season, Kline had a 2-2 record with a 1.79 earned-run average and limited left-handers to a .142 batting average.

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The first advice Roger Clemens gave Jeff Suppan, at the behest of Suppan’s pitching coach in the Boston Red Sox organization, was not particularly memorable.

“I don’t remember what that advice was,” Suppan said Friday, less than 24 hours before he was to face Clemens in Game 3 of the NL championship series at Minute Maid Park.

The pitchers were teammates with the Red Sox from 1995 to 1996, before the Toronto Blue Jays signed Clemens as a free agent in December 1996 and the Arizona Diamondbacks acquired Suppan in the first round of the 1997 expansion draft.

“Getting a chance to play with him in the major leagues was a great experience for me, just watching his work ethic,” Suppan said. “Obviously, he’s done it for so long, he’s just kept his body in great shape. As a young player, seeing that type of person is a great role model.”

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Pitcher Chris Carpenter, sidelined for the first two rounds of the playoffs because of a strained right biceps, has resumed playing catch, but the Cardinals are not counting on him if they reach the World Series.

“I still find it a real stretch that he could get back in time to help us, if we were able to win two more games in this series,” La Russa said.

The manager said he didn’t want Carpenter to feel unnecessary pressure to accelerate his return and risk injury “because he’s got a terrific future.”

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Laura Pettitte, wife of injured Houston pitcher Andy Pettitte, will sing the national anthem.