By Josh Maurer & Will Flemming

“He’s a young, power-arm reliever we think has a chance to be a really good Big League pitcher.”

Those were the words in February from Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington on Chris Carpenter, the 6-foot-4 righty received from the Cubs in compensation for Theo Epstein.

Although it originally looked as though he would have started 2012 in Pawtucket, Carpenter’s season had been put on hold because of surgery required near the end of Spring Training to repair a bone spur in his right elbow.

The Red Sox scouted Carpenter in his amateur days at Kent State along with last year during the regular season and then in the Arizona Fall League. (MiLB.com)

“You never want to be on the (disabled list), especially after getting traded,” he told Brian MacPherson (@brianmacp) of the Providence Journal. “You want to show people what you can do. It’s just unfortunate the way things worked out. But I worked my way back, and I’m here. It’s like starting over right now.”

Prior to joining the PawSox, Carpenter made five rehab appearances split between the Gulf Coast League, Single-A Greenville, and Double-A Portland. The 26-year-old made his Major League debut last year with Chicago, totaling 10 appearances out of the Cubs’ bullpen.

A former third round pick out of Kent State in 2008, Carpenter worked almost exclusively as a starter until 2011 when he pitched in relief for Double-A, Triple-A, and Chicago. In 347.0 minor league innings, the righty struck out 297 batters while walking 161.

As reported by both the Providence Journal and Carpenter yesterday on Twitter, he is scheduled to make his PawSox debut tonight against Syracuse.

-AG

@aaronmgoldsmith

agoldsmith@pawsox.com