Matt Holliday is out of the Cardinals’ starting lineup for a third consecutive game on Tuesday night versus the Nationals. Shane Robinson will start in left field in his place and bat second against Washington left-hander Gio Gonzalez.
The Cardinals have a two-game buffer over the Pirates and Reds in the National League Central standings, so maybe this is a precautionary thing. But a three-game absence is typically a red flag.
St. Louis is still missing Allen Craig, who suffered a sprained foot earlier this month and might not be ready for action until sometime in mid-October. The Cardinals have had the most productive offense in the National League this year with 760 runs scored and will continue to try to weather the storm.
