Matt Holliday (elbow) is in the Cardinals' starting lineup on Saturday night against the Nationals. Holliday made an early exit Friday after getting plunked on his left elbow. He suffered only a mild contusion.

Matt Holliday is day-to-day with a left elbow contusion. Exhale, Cardinals fans. Holliday was hit in the elbow by a pitch on Friday, but he managed to avoid serious injury. Still, we wouldn't be surprised if the Cardinals held him out of the lineup through the weekend as a precaution.

Matt Holliday confirmed he's still dealing with lower back tightness. Holliday hasn't missed any games, and expects to continue playing through the injury. "It's just some tightness," he said. "More running than anything. It's not as bad as it was earlier in the year. Just needs a couple more days. Usually it goes pretty fast."

Matt Holliday finished 0-for-4 in the Cardinals' loss to the Padres on Wednesday in San Diego. Holliday is batting just .204 with 10 strikeouts in his past 14 games, slumping badly when the Cardinals need him most. It wasn't long ago that he was considered a potential MVP candidate in the National League, but his OPS is now .894 and dropping.

Matt Holliday was scratched from Friday's lineup as a precaution due to wet field conditions. Holliday dealt with back tightness earlier this week, so there was no need to push it after a lengthy rain delay. Matt Carpenter will start in his place in left field.

Matt Holliday (back) is not in Wednesday's lineup against the Mets. Holliday left Tuesday's game with lower back tightness. It's not a big surprise he's sitting with the day game. Consider him day-to-day for now. Shane Robinson will start in his place in left field.

Matt Holliday went 0-for-7 with a walk and run scored in Sunday's marathon, 19-inning loss to the Pirates. The horrific day at the plate drops Holliday's average from .306 to .301, and deepens the slump he's been in since August 6. Over his past 13 games, Holliday is just 8-for-54 (.148). David Freese also had a brutal day in the brutal loss, going 0-for-8. In a statline you'll almost never see, Jon Jay went 3-for-9.

Matt Holliday finished 3-for-5 with a three-run homer in Saturday's 4-1 defeat of the Phillies. Holliday launched his clutch three-run shot to right field in the sixth inning, putting St. Louis ahead for good. He's now batting .319/.399/.546 with 22 homers and 79 RBI in 111 games played this season, and suddenly has the look of an NL MVP candidate. The Cardinals are just 1 1/2 games back of a Wild Card berth.

Matt Holliday roughed up his former team Wednesday, going 3-for-4 with two home runs and five RBI in St. Louis' 9-6 win in Colorado. Holliday took Drew Pomeranz deep for a two-run blast in the first before tagging Matt Belisle for a three-run moonshot in the seventh. In between bombs, he was hit by a pitch. Absolutely unconscious since mid-June, Holliday is now up to 21 home runs on the season, seven of which have come in 18 games since the All-Star break. St. Louis' $120 million man is hitting .325/.408/.561 in the third season of his seven-year deal. His 75 RBI are tied with teammate Carlos Beltran for the National League lead. He's forcing his way into the MVP conversation.

Matt Holliday hit the first of five Cardinals homers Friday in a 9-5 victory over the Cubs. Holliday also had two singles. The Cardinals homered in each of the first five innings of the game, with a different player doing the honors each time. The others to go deep were Yadier Molina, Lance Berkman, Allen Craig and Matt Carpenter.