Lance Berkman did not travel with the Cardinals on Tuesday to Mets camp due to mild side soreness. The Cardinals aren't concerned about the veteran first baseman. Berkman, who hit .301/.412/.547 in 2011, has plenty of time to get his work in before Opening day.

Lance Berkman will bat cleanup in Game 6 of the World Series against the Rangers on Wednesday. An expected move against the right-hander Colby Lewis. Matt Holliday, who is 3-for-18 during the World Series, will be dropped down to the fifth spot. Rangers manager Ron Washington doesn't appear to have any interest to pitch to Albert Pujols in a crucial situation, but Berkman is at least swinging the bat well right now.

Lance Berkman will serve as designated hitter in Game 3 of the World Series against the Rangers on Saturday. Not unexpected as the series shifts to Arlington. Allen Craig, who delivered go-ahead pinch-hits on Wednesday and Thursday, will make the start in right field.

Lance Berkman will bat cleanup in Game 2 of the World Series against the Rangers on Thursday night. Berkman batted fifth against Rangers left-hander C.J. Wilson in Game 1. Matt Holliday will slide down to the fifth spot while Nick Punto will start at second base for the second straight game.

Lance Berkman went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI in the World Series Game 1 win over the Rangers. Berkman hit a chopper that went over the first-base bag in the fourth inning that drove in Albert Pujols and David Freese to give the Cardinals an early 2-0 lead. Puma also added an infield single later in the game. He was the lone Cards batter with a pair of hits on the night, pushing his postseason average up to .262 to go along with eight RBI.

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa confirmed that Lance Berkman will start in right field for Game 1 of the World Series against the Rangers on Thursday night. Berkman sat in favor of Allen Craig in Game 4 of the NLCS against left-hander Randy Wolf, but he'll be in the lineup for the series opener against C.J. Wilson. There's a chance La Russa could go with Craig in right field and Berkman at DH when the series moves to Texas.

Lance Berkman is back in the starting lineup for Game 5 of the NLCS against the Brewers on Friday night. Berkman didn't start Thursday and had his right side heavily wrapped after a pinch-hit appearance, but he'll start in right field and bat cleanup Friday. David Freese, who batted fourth in Game 4, will slide down to the sixth spot.

Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Lance Berkman had his right side heavily wrapped after Thursday's pinch-hitting appearance. Berkman knocked a pinch-hit single through the right side of the infield in the ninth inning, but it sounds like he might have tweaked something during the at-bat. Perhaps manager Tony La Russa will update Berkman's condition before Friday's Game 5. If Puma is healthy, he's expected to start in right field and hit cleanup. If he's not, Allen Craig, who homered Thursday, could get another start.

Lance Berkman is not in the starting lineup for Game 4 of the NLCS against the Brewers on Thursday. He'll take a seat against the southpaw Randy Wolf while Allen Craig starts in right field and bats eighth. Also of note, Ryan Theriot will start at second base over Nick Punto.

Lance Berkman was named the National League's Comeback Player of the Year. Jordan Zimmermann, Ryan Vogelsong and Carlos Beltran were in the discussion, but Berkman was the no-brainer choice here. Many scoffed at the notion that the 35-year-old would make it through the whole season as the right fielder in St. Louis, he exceeded all expectations by batting .301/.412/.547 with 31 homers, 94 RBI and a .959 OPS. The Cardinals have already inked him to an extension for 2012.