WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Nationals are carrying on without their acknowledged ace, Stephen Strasburg, and the St. Louis Cardinals are counting on their returning ace, Chris Carpenter. Strasburg has been shut down for a month. Carpenter has pitched only 17 innings all year because of surgery, and he’ll be on the mound Wednesday for Game 3 of the NL division series between the Nationals and Cardinals. The best-of-five series is tied 1-1.

The Nationals counter with Edwin Jackson, their only starter with postseason experience: He was on the Cardinals’ 2011 World Series champions. Carpenter went 4-0 during that run, including winning Game 7 against Texas. That success, Washington’s Ryan Zimmerman says, “isn’t going to do anything” for Carpenter on Wednesday.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs waived Neiko Thorpe on Monday and re-signed offensive lineman Bryan Mattison, who had been waived just last week to make room for the rookie defensive back. The Chiefs wanted Thorpe available to help on special teams and provide some help in the defensive backfield in Sunday’s 9-6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. They waived Mattison, who has played 15 games over two seasons in St. Louis and Baltimore, to clear roster space for him. Injured backup defensive back Jalil Brown is expected back at practice this week, and the Chiefs brought back Mattison to provide depth along the offensive line.

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — The Washington Redskins have released struggling kicker Billy Cundiff and replaced him with free agent Kai Forbath.

Forbath emerged as the winner in a tryout at Redskins Park on Tuesday. He won the Lou Groza Award with UCLA in 2009 as the top kicker in college football, but he has yet to play in the NFL.

Cundiff was signed late in preseason after he was waived by the Baltimore Ravens. He has been the worst kicker in the league this year, making only seven of 12 field goal attempts. Two of his misses have been from inside 40 yards, including a 31-yard misfire in Sunday’s 24-17 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

WASHINGTON (AP) — St. Louis Cardinals left-handed starter Jaime Garcia has been removed from the team’s playoff roster due to a strained rotator cuff and inflammation in his throwing shoulder.

Manager Mike Matheny said Tuesday that Garcia will be replaced on the NL division series roster by rookie right-hander Shelby Miller.

Garcia pitched only two innings in the Cardinals’ 12-4 victory Monday in St. Louis before leaving with a shoulder problem. An MRI exam diagnosed the injury, and he was scheduled to get a second opinion later Tuesday.

Garcia also missed two months this season with shoulder fatigue before returning in mid-August.

Miller appeared in six games this season, pitching 13 2-3 innings with a 1.32 ERA.

Game 3 is Wednesday in Washington.

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan State heads into Saturday’s game against Iowa eager to start fast for a change.

The unranked Spartans (4-2, 1-1 Big Ten) have had to rally for three of their four victories and have been outscored 34-20 in the first quarter. The Spartans have allowed just 23 points in the second half all season.

Coach Mark Dantonio said he was disappointed with the slow start against Indiana last week. The Spartans have not won back to back games against Iowa (3-2, 1-0) in 34 years.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Suspended TCU quarterback Casey Pachall (PAW’-hall) is leaving school for the rest of the semester and enrolling at an inpatient rehabilitation facility.

Coach Gary Patterson made the announcement Tuesday, five days after the junior starter was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving near campus. That came eight months after Pachall admitted to police that he smoked marijuana and failed a team-administered drug test.

Patterson said most of the inpatient programs like the one Pachall will enter are 30 to 60 days. The coach said that keeps the door open for Pachall re-enrolling at TCU next spring.

Redshirt freshman Trevone Boykin threw for 270 yards and had three interceptions Saturday as Iowa State beat TCU 37-23. The Horned Frogs (4-1, 1-1 Big 12) will face Baylor (3-1, 0-1) on Saturday.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Shawn Eichorst is promising to immerse himself in the culture of the Cornhuskers as he prepares for his new job as Nebraska athletic director.

Eichorst said Tuesday he planned to make few changes within the department, saying the programs were already on the right track under the leadership of retiring director Tom Osborne.

Eichorst left his job as athletic director at scandal-tainted Miami last week for a five-year contract to succeed Osborne. The 75-year-old Osborne — one of college football’s legendary coaches — announced late last month that he will retire Jan. 1 after five years on the job.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa cornerback Micah Hyde says he made a stupid mistake and let a lot of people down after being arrested in Iowa City last weekend.

Hyde apologized to his family, coaches and teammates on Tuesday in his first public comments since being booked on suspicion of public intoxication and interference with official acts early last Saturday.

Coach Kirk Ferentz has removed Hyde, a three-year starter, as a team captain. He also tightened the team’s curfew after Hyde and reserves Ray Hamilton and Drew Clark were arrested in separate alcohol-related incidents.

Ferentz says he didn’t suspend any of those players for Saturday’s game at Michigan State largely because of their positive behavior prior to last weekend.