Rafael Furcal (back) is in the Cardinals' starting lineup Monday.

Furcal, who has been bothered by back stiffness recently, will make just his third start in the past nine games. He'll bat eighth Monday while Daniel Descalso hits leadoff.

Rafael Furcal (back) is expected to return to the Cardinals' starting lineup Monday.

Furcal missed five games prior to the Brewers series with back stiffness, so the Cardinals wanted to give him an off-day as a precaution. The injury seems non-problematic, but continue to view him as day to day.

Rafael Furcal (back) lobbied to return to the lineup Thursday but was unable to pass a required physical test to gain clearance to do so.

It was the fifth straight game he's missed. Furcal has already undergone MRIs on his back, hip, leg and shin and will go through tests again Friday to determine his progress. The shortstop has been able to take part in batting practice and infield drills the last few days without incident. A trip to the disabled list hasn't been discussed at this point.

Rafael Furcal (back) is out of the starting lineup again Thursday.

Furcal hasn't played since last Friday due to soreness in his lower back which has spread to his right leg. He has already undergone MRIs on his back, hip, leg and shin and is scheduled to meet with team doctors Friday to formulate a plan moving forward.

The Cardinals will have doctors in St. Louis check out Rafael Furcal's back when they return home Friday.

Furcal is dealing with soreness in his lower back that's also spread to his upper leg, and the Cardinals are trying to get a handle on his condition. He took batting practice and fielded grounders Wednesday, and the team isn't ruling out his return Thursday, but it seems unlikely. At this point, the Cards haven't discussed a possible stint on the disabled list.

Rafael Furcal (back) is out of the Cardinals' lineup Wednesday for a fourth consecutive game.

Furcal's lower back soreness just isn't going away, and the Cardinals may be forced to place the veteran shortstop on the 15-day disabled list if it lingers any longer. He's batting .272/.341/.352 this season. Daniel Descalso is starting in his place on Wednesday night against the Rockies.

Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said Rafael Furcal (back) is "likely" to return to the lineup Tuesday.

Furcal will have had three days in a row off following Monday's off day while nursing a stiff back. He's also dealt with ongoing pain in his shins over the last couple months. The shortstop has responded to treatment, though, and appears ready to give it a go.

Rafael Furcal (back) is not in the Cardinals' lineup Sunday for the second straight game.

Furcal is dealing with some back stiffness but should be OK in a day or two. Daniel Descalso is drawing another start at shortstop.

Rafael Furcal is day-to-day with back tightness.

Furcal was not in the Cardinals' starting lineup for Saturday's loss to the Cubs and did not appear in the game. He may also be out for Sunday's series-finale.

Rafael Furcal walked off the Cardinals in the 12th inning Wednesday, singling home pinch runner Joe Kelly to lead St. Louis to a 3-2 victory.

The knock was Furcal's only hit in six plate appearances, though he also drew a walk. Furcal's slash remains a tidy .277/.347/.359, but he's hitting just .215 since June 1. He's a below-average option in 12-14 team mixed leagues until further notice.

Rafael Furcal went 2-for-5 with three RBI in Sunday's win over the Marlins, slapping a walkoff, two-run single off of Heath Bell in the ninth.

The two-hit day was just Furcal's second in 13 games, while the three-RBI effort was his first of the season. St. Louis' 34-year-old shortstop is clearly in need of a break as he continues to fade offensively following a hot start, but will instead serve as the National League's starting shortstop in Tuesday's All-Star game. He'll return to a .275/.337/.364 slash when play resumes on Friday.

Rafael Furcal returned to action on Saturday July 7.

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny indicated that Rafael Furcal (leg) was pulled from Friday's game for precautionary reasons.

"He has a little leg issue that keeps creeping back up," said Matheny. "He said he'd be okay, but it wasn't worth the risk." Furcal can be considered day-to-day.

According to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Rafael Furcal is being bothered by a shin bruise.

Furcal is mired in a 2-for-36 slump and has registered a brutal .357 OPS so far in the month of June. Cardinals manager Mike Matheny might look to get the veteran shortstop a bit more regular rest going forward.

Rafael Furcal is expected to return to the starting lineup Saturday.

Furcal's average dropped to .292 after going hitless in 23 at-bats earlier this week. He did manage a single in his last at-bat against the White Sox on Thursday, but the Cardinals opted to give him the night off in Friday's series opener against the Royals.

Rafael Furcal is not in the Cardinals' lineup Thursday.

It's just a routine day off for the veteran shortstop, who is hitting a robust .370/.433/.500 so far this season. Daniel Descalso starts at short Thursday against the Giants.

One day after getting his first day off of the season, Rafael Furcal went 4-for-5 with a run scored in St. Louis' win over the Diamondbacks.

Furcal is now 16-for-33 (.485) in the month of May, and hitting a cool .361/.423/.508 on the season. It's safe to say he's found a home atop the National League's most dangerous lineup. The specter of injury always looms large for Furcal, but he'll remain en elite fantasy option as long as he can remain on the field.

Rafael Furcal is not in the Cardinals' starting lineup Tuesday against the Diamondbacks.

Furcal has appeared in each of the Cardinals' first 29 games, so the off-day is well-deserved. Daniel Descalso is starting at shortstop Tuesday night in Arizona.

Rafael Furcal went 3-for-5 with a homer and a steal Monday versus the Diamondbacks.

Furcal looked all washed up this spring, but here he is hitting .342 with 13 extra-base hits and six steals in six attempts through 29 regular-season games. With the possible exception of Jed Lowrie, no NL shortstop is playing better than Furcal.

Rafael Furcal continued to sting the ball in Sunday's win over the Pirates, going 3-for-4 with a double, RBI, stolen base, walk and two runs scored.

After reportedly showing up out of shape and hitting .192 in spring training, Furcal is now batting .369/.423/.523 to go along with nine extra-base hits, eight RBI and three stolen bases. Most amazingly, the famously brittle shortstop has started each of St. Louis' first 16 games. It's nearly impossible to believe he'll stay healthy, but as long as he's in the lineup, there's no reason he should be on your bench in any format.