Rafael Furcal stayed hot in Wednesday's win over the Reds, going 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles, a run scored and two RBI.

The multi-hit night was Furcal's second straight and fifth of the season, and provides him with a robust .353/.389/.510 triple slash through his first 12 games. So far at least, Furcal's injury-marred .231/.298/.348 showing in 2011 appears to be a distant memory. As long as he's healthy and anchoring the top of the Cardinals' fearsome lineup, he should be an above-average option at shortstop.

Rafael Furcal was 3-for-5 with an RBI double in Friday's win over the Brewers.

Furcal also collected his second stolen base in as many games. The 34-year-old has been limited to just 184 games over the past two seasons, so he's a pretty terrible bet to stay healthy, but he should be mixed league-relevant as long as he's in the lineup.

Rafael Furcal went 3-for-5 with an RBI in Wednesday's Opening Day win over the Marlins.

He also swiped a bag in the fifth inning. The 34-year-old shortstop is one of the Cardinals' x-factors this season. If last year's career-worst numbers were nothing more than an outlier, then he should give St. Louis a big boost at the top of the lineup.

Rafael Furcal (neck) is back in Wednesday's lineup against the Astros.

Furcal hasn't played since Sunday due to neck stiffness, but the issue was a minor one. The 34-year-old is an injury-risk and his skills are on the decline, but he should still be useful in deeper mixed leagues and NL-only formats.

Rafael Furcal (neck) is aiming to return to Grapefruit League action on Wednesday.

Furcal was scratched from Monday's game due to neck stiffness. But he went through a full workout Tuesday morning in Cardinals camp and should be back on the right track after Wednesday's game. The 34-year-old will start at shortstop this year in St. Louis and makes for a decent option in NL-only fantasy leagues.

Rafael Furcal was scratched from Monday's Grapefruit League game due to neck stiffness.

Neck injuries seem to be an epidemic this spring in Cardinals camp. Furcal is 2-for-5 with a solo home run so far in Grapefruit League play. He's day-to-day.

Rafael Furcal will make his spring debut Thursday against the Red Sox.

The Cardinals have brought Furcal along slowly this spring due to general soreness and the veteran shortstop also wanted to get in better shape before taking the field. The 34-year-old is an obvious health risk, but should be useful in mixed fantasy leagues hitting in front of of Carlos Beltran, Matt Holliday and Lance Berkman.

Rafael Furcal hopes to make his Grapefruit League debut Thursday.

There's no rush to get Furcal into the lineup, especially after he was a bit limited over the winter after undergoing an emergency appendectomy. The 34-year-old returned to the Cardinals one a two-year, $14 million contract this winter after batting .231/.298/.348 with eight homers and a .646 OPS over 368 plate appearances in 2011. He projects as a top-20 shortstop in mixed fantasy leagues.

Cardinals re-signed SS Rafael Furcal to a two-year, contract.

The deal was reported on Saturday but has now become official. Furcal is expected to make $14 million the next two years after batting a disappointing .231/.298/.348 with eight homers and a .646 OPS over 368 plate appearances between the Dodgers and Cardinals this past season. The 34-year-old is still a good defensive shortstop and will help out on offense if he stays healthy, but a trip or two to the disabled list in 2012 is a pretty safe bet.

Updating a previous item, the Cardinals are expected to re-sign Rafael Furcal on a two-year deal worth $14 million.

Furcal, 34, batted .231 with eight home runs and a .646 OPS over 368 plate appearances between the Dodgers and Cardinals this past season. His signing will likely rule out another possible destination for Jimmy Rollins.

The Cardinals are ''making progress'' with free agent shortstop Rafael Furcal, according to FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal.

Furcal is seeking a long-term contract and reportedly wants $16 million over two years, though it's not yet known if the Cardinals would be willing to meet his asking price. If they are unable to re-sign him, the Tigers and Giants are thought to be interested, as well.

Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that Rafael Furcal is unlikely to sign with the Brewers.

Furcal is seeking a multi-year contract and has also fielded interest from the Cardinals, Giants and Tigers. While the Brewers have explored various alternatives in the free agent market, Haudricourt suspects that they may now settle on Yuniesky Betancourt as their shortstop in 2012.

Rafael Furcal underwent an appendectomy last week.

Furcal, a free agent, is thought to be seeking a multi-year deal and has already drawn interest from the Brewers, Tigers and Giants. The Cardinals are also expected to attempt to re-sign the 34-year-old shortstop. His appendectomy will in no way affect contract talks.

Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com reports that free agent shortstop Rafael Furcal is still looking for a multi-year deal this offseason.

It's no surprise. At 34 and his health always a question mark, Furcal is a risk on a multi-year contract, but with multiple teams showing interest, someone will surely be willing to give him two years. The Cardinals would like to re-sign him, and the Brewers, Tigers and Giants are thought to be interested, as well.

The Cardinals did not offer arbitration to Rafael Furcal.

Furcal would stand to make $10 million via salary arbitration, so the Cards avoided the risk and set him free. They're in the process of attempting to re-sign the 34-year-old shortstop to a one-year contract, but he reportedly wants $16 million over two years.

Jon Heyman of SI.com reports that the Pirates are "looking at" free agent shortstop Rafael Furcal.

The Pirates are said to be considering a host of options at shortstop, though not big-ticket items like Jose Reyes or Jimmy Rollins. The Cardinals and Brewers have also been mentioned as potential fits for Furcal, who is reportedly seeking a two-year, $16 million contract. The 34-year-old batted .231/.298/.348 over 369 plate appearances this season between Los Angeles and St. Louis.

According to the Denver Post's Troy Renck, Rafael Furcal is seeking a two-year, $16 million deal.

The Tigers, Blue Jays, Brewers and Cardinals are said to be interested, but the Rockies don't like the asking price and have dropped out. Furcal, 34, batted .255/.316/.418 with seven homers and 16 RBI in 50 games this year after joining St. Louis. He also showed good defensive range.

Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com hears that the Tigers, Blue Jays and Rockies like Rafael Furcal as a potential second baseman.

That may be the case, but the 34-year-old Furcal hasn't played second base regularly since his rookie season in 2000 and is drawing enough interest that he should be able to find a starting shortstop job. The Cardinals and Brewers are the two most logical fits right now.

According to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Rafael Furcal's agent Paul Kinzer is believed to be seeking a three-year deal.

Furcal is also open to a two-year deal with a club option for 2014. Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak has yet to speak with Kinzler, but Strauss writes that the club is reluctant to commit multiple years to a 34-year-old shortstop who has experienced back and hamstring injuries in recent seasons. The division rival Brewers have expressed interest in Furcal this week.

According to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the market for free agent shortstop Rafael Furcal "may be moving past" the Cardinals' comfort level.

The Cards were hoping to retain the 34-year-old veteran, who batted .255/.316/.418 with 17 homers and 16 RBI in 50 games this year with St. Louis while greatly improving the club's defense. But Furcal has drawn enough interest to where he might be priced out of the Cardinals' range. The Brewers are known to be in the running.