Holliday exits with tight right hamstring

CHICAGO -- Matt Holliday was pulled from Thursday's 3-0 loss to the Cubs in the fourth inning after grabbing his right hamstring while running to first on a groundout.

Holliday was replaced by Matt Adams, who came in to play first while Allen Craig took Holliday's spot in left field. The Cardinals confirmed the injury as right hamstring tightness and Holliday spent the rest of the game soaking his leg in an ice bath.

"It feels all right," Holliday said after the game. "It feels stiff, but I've been in the cold tub, so it's going to be stiff. It kind of grabbed me a little bit, so we'll see how it feels. I've been icing it and getting treatments, so I think I'll have a little better feel of what it looks like [Friday] and hopefully be able to be day to day and then be able to use the break and it'll be all right."

Holliday's batting average was up to .269 prior to the game. He'd clubbed 13 home runs and driven in 47 while occupying the third spot in the Cardinals' batting order. He was also third in the National League in runs scored (64) and had reached base by hit or walk in 42 of the previous 47 games.

He's hoping the timing of the injury might be somewhat fortunate, considering the All-Star break will add more time off to whatever amount he will likely miss this weekend against the Cubs.

"If you can get four days to maybe stay away from the disabled list, that'd be ideal," Holliday said.

Holliday was able to leave the field and head up a flight of stairs leading to the visitors' clubhouse at Wrigley Field, so the Cardinals are hoping that's a good sign.

"It looked like halfway down [the first-base line], it just grabbed him," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "So, that is the hamstring and we're just waiting to see the severity of it right now. He was able to get up here [to the clubhouse], but it was obviously not good."