ST. LOUIS -- Star third baseman Nolan Arenado was scratched from the starting lineup just minutes before the final game of the three-game series between the Cardinals and the Pirates was about to begin on Wednesday.
Nolan Gorman replaced Arenado in the starting lineup. Gorman reached base in his first two plate appearances, walking and lining a single into right field.
Arenado, 34, is listed as day to day, and he is still expected to travel with the Cardinals on their upcoming nine-game road trip through Washington, Philadelphia and Kansas City. The Cardinals are off on Thursday and face the Nats in the nation’s capital on Friday.
Arenado played in 34 of the Cardinals' previous 37 games, including both games of a doubleheader sweep of the Mets on Saturday. He was also at third on Monday and Tuesday when the Cards took the first two games of the three-game series against the Pirates.
Arenado has gone 7-for-27 (.259) in his past seven games, but he hasn’t had an extra-base hit. The back soreness knocked Arenado out of Wednesday’s game against Pittsburgh’s Mitch Keller, a pitcher he has hit just .148 (4-for-27) with four strikeouts against in his career.
For the season, Arenado is hitting .256 with three homers and 14 RBIs. His finest moment came on April 26 when he hit a walk-off home run to beat the Brewers -- the sixth walk-off long ball of his career.