Holliday rests back in finale with Brewers

MILWAUKEE -- Matt Holliday sat out of Sunday's series finale against the Brewers, due to tightness in his mid-back -- an issue that has bothered him throughout the team's stay in Milwaukee.

Manager Mike Matheny pulled Holliday from Saturday's game in the eighth inning, after Holliday struggled to get his back loose. The club then chose to be cautious with the veteran outfielder again a day later.

"He woke up that way and said that since he's been [in Milwaukee], that has kind of been the case," Matheny explained. "He'd loosen up throughout the day, but [on Saturday], it just kind of kept grabbing him. We noticed ... that some of his swings didn't look quite right and at that point we got him out. We're just going to have to keep an eye on it. It's something that comes and goes at times."

Since hitting safely in 13 of 14 games, Holliday has gone hitless in four of his last five. Holliday has dealt with episodes of back tightness on and off for the last several years. In his absence on Sunday, the Cardinals started Jon Jay in left field, Peter Bourjos in center and Oscar Taveras in right field.

"This guy is probably as durable as anybody in the game," Matheny said. "Days like this -- where we realize that something needs to be done, even though the urgency of playing in a series like this, no matter what the other factors you put in -- [resting him is] just the right thing to do."