Matt Holliday makes early exit due to hamstring tightness - MLB

The Braves weren’t the only first-place team who lost a player due to a hamstring injury tonight. According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday made an early exit from tonight’s game against the Cubs due to what is being called right hamstring tightness.

Holliday suffered the injury on a ground out to shortstop in the top of the fourth inning. The severity of the issue isn’t yet known, but the Cardinals could play short-handed for now in hopes that he makes progress over the All-Star break.

Holliday is having a down season for his usual lofty standards, batting .268/.351/.448 with 13 home runs and 47 RBI through 83 games. The Cardinals have the ability to use Allen Craig in left field and Matt Adams at first base if he needs to miss time. Not too bad as far as backup plans go.

ST. LOUIS — Miles Mikolas is sticking with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The right-hander signed a three-year, $55.75 million contract on Friday that will carry through the 2025 season.

The new deal replaces a $68 million, four-year contract signed in February 2019 that covered the 2020-23 seasons and was set to pay $15.75 million this year.

Mikolas will receive a $5 million signing bonus payable July 1 and will make $18.75 million in 2023 and $16 million in each of the following two seasons. Mikolas can earn a $250,000 bonus for winning a Cy Young Award, $50,000 for All-Star election or selection or winning a Gold Glove, $100,000 for League Championship Series MVP and $150,000 for World Series MVP.

Mikolas is scheduled to make the second opening-day start of his big league career next Thursday when the Cardinals host Toronto. Mikolas went 12-13 with a 3.29 ERA last season while helping St. Louis to the NL Central title.

“Miles stands among the top pitchers in the game today, and has continued to provide a steady presence for us both in the rotation and inside the clubhouse,” St. Louis general manager John Mozeliak said in a statement.

Mikolas is 45-40 with a 3.79 in 143 games with San Diego, Texas and St. Louis. He recently pitched six shutout innings in two appearances for the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic.