Holliday returns to lineup after spraining ankle

ST. LOUIS -- Left fielder Matt Holliday was back on the field Wednesday, a day after needing to be removed due to a mild right ankle sprain.

Holliday, who was unavailable to comment on the injury after the game Tuesday and again on Wednesday afternoon, appeared to injure his ankle while making a move back to first base in the 10th inning of Tuesday's eventual 4-3, 14-inning win over the Pirates. After watching Holliday run to second minutes later, manager Mike Matheny removed him for a pinch-runner.

X-rays on Holliday's ankle came back negative, and general manager John Mozeliak said that Holliday passed all the necessary tests on Wednesday to be cleared to play.

"I think it scared him more than anything else when he felt it not feel quite right," Matheny said. "I think he was then hesitant moving first to second at that point."

Batting in the cleanup spot, Holliday singled in his first at-bat on Tuesday to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. He is hitting .409 since the All-Star break and has reached base safely in all 18 games he's played since coming off the disabled list.