Worth noting

By Jenifer Langosch, Joey Nowak and John Schlegel

October 7, 2013

• Allen Craig (left foot sprain) joined his team on the field for batting practice Monday without his walking boot. Nothing, though, has changed with Craig's prognosis, and the date of his next examination remains undetermined. The Cardinals have said that they hope to have him available again if the team can play deep into October.

• MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reported on Monday that the Astros will hire Cards Minor League pitching coordinator Brent Strom to be their next Major League pitching coach. Strom has been in St. Louis' organization since 2007. Houston has not officially made the hiring announcement.

• Carpenter has been announced as one of 15 National League finalists for the Hank Aaron Award, an annual honor that recognizes the best offensive player in each league. The two league winners will be announced during the World Series after being selected by a Hall of Fame panel and fan voting on MLB.com.

• Rain passed through Pittsburgh overnight Sunday and into Monday morning, and it significantly cooled down the area. It was expected to be about 30 degrees cooler for first pitch on Monday than it was for Game 3, which began under sunny skies and a temperature of 84 degrees. Wind could also affect the conditions at PNC Park on Monday.

Jenifer Langosch is a reporter for MLB.com. Read her blog, By Gosh, It's Langosch, and follow her on Twitter @LangoschMLB. Joey Nowak is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @joeynowak. John Schlegel is a national reporter for MLB.com.