CARDINALS
Holiday activated
ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Cardinals have activated Matt Holliday from the disabled list, and the veteran outfielder made an appearance with the team Friday night, hitting a home run in the seventh inning of a 7-0 victory over Pittsburgh.
Holliday broke his left thumb when he was hit by a pitch Aug. 11. The Cardinals informed the slugger this week that they are not planning to pick up their $17 million option on his contract for 2017.
Manager Mike Matheny said he plans to use the 36-year-old Holliday as a pinch hitter in one of the three final games against Pittsburgh.
Holliday signed a $120 million, seven-year contract after the 2009 season, which remains the largest in Cardinals history. He helped the team win the 2011 World Series, the 2013 National League pennant and reach the playoffs the past five seasons.
NATIONALS
Harper back in lineup
WASHINGTON — Washington Nationals star Bryce Harper was back in the starting lineup for Friday night’s matchup against Miami after the outfielder sat out the previous four days with a left thumb injury.
Washington began the day two games ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers for home-field advantage in their upcoming matchup in the Division Series.
Nationals Manager Dusty Baker has given Harper additional time to heal after the reigning National League MVP jammed his thumb on a slide Sunday at Pittsburgh.
“If a guy tells me he’s ready, if I have a luxury, I like to give them one more day off,” Baker said. “I just noticed that a lot of guys say they’re ready, and you bring them back and they’re really not ready. I would prefer that you be champing at the bit to get back [instead] of a person to just say that you’re ready.”
Baker also took precaution with Harper because of the wet conditions in the Washington area this week.
Harper is batting .244 with 24 home runs and 95 RBI.
CUBS
GM, scouting director extended
CINCINNATI — Chicago Cubs General Manager Jed Hoyer and scouting and player development director Jason McLeod agreed to contract extensions through the 2021 season Friday, mirroring president of baseball operations Theo Epstein’s deal two days earlier.
The team announced the deals before its game against the Reds.
Hoyer and McLeod joined the franchise on Nov. 1, 2011, and have helped put together a team that has qualified for postseason play in consecutive seasons for just the third time in franchise history. This year’s team went into the final series of the regular season with a major league-best 101-57 record — just the third team in major league history to win at least 100 games within four years of a 100-loss season.