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The Cardinals will be without first baseman Allen Craig during the National League Championship Series, as they were during the NLDS, manager Mike Matheny announced on Thursday. Craig has been out since Sept. 4 with a sprained left foot.
Craig was also left off the Cardinals' NLDS roster, but the club was hopeful he would be able to return as at least a pinch hitter at some point during the postseason, sort of the St. Louis equivalent of Andre Ethier.
"He's continuing to get better, so we don't know what it will look like going forward," Matheny said during Thursday's media session after the Cardinals worked out at Busch Stadium. "But it looks like our roster will be the same."
Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch had more information:
Craig is off to see a specialist today. Getting healthy is one step. Getting baseball ready is next. Won't be on #nlcs roster #Cardinals
— Derrick Goold (@dgoold) October 10, 2013
The Temecula native Craig hit .315/.373/.457 with 13 home runs, 29 doubles and 97 RBI in 134 games this season, including a ridiculous .454/.500/.638 (59-for-130) with runners in scoring position. Not to say Craig hasn't been missed, but Matt Adams has filled in quite nicely at first base for the Cardinals.
Adams hit two extra-inning home runs on Sept. 4, the game in which Craig injured his foot. In 24 games, including 20 starts since assuming the position Adams hit .326/.355/.629 with eight home runs in 93 plate appearances. He hit .316/.381/.526 during the NLDS, including a two-run home run in the eighth inning of Game 5 that put the game (more) out of reach.