Chris Carpenter of the St. Louis Cardinals Works Simulated Game

ST. LOUIS (AP) - St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter is taking another step in a bid to bolster the club's NL wild card chances by throwing a simulated game.

The 37-year-old right-hander, who underwent surgery to relieve nerve compression that resulted in numbness on much of the right side of his body in July, threw to hitters Tuesday before the Cardinals hosted the New York Mets.

The Cardinals added another arm in their drive for an NL wild card wild spot, purchasing the contract of top pitching prospect Shelby Miller from Triple-A Memphis. The 21-year-old Miller was the Cardinals' first-round pick in 2009 and had a big August, going 5-1 with a 2.89 ERA in six starts, after inconsistent performances much of the year in Memphis.

St. Louis also recalled outfielder Adron Chambers and infielder Ryan Jackson from Memphis. The 25-year-old Chambers has played in 23 games for the Cardinals, batting .250 in 36 at-bats. The 24-year-old Jackson played in seven games last month in his first big-league action.