Ankiel struggled after returning from a DL stint for a bruised shoulder in May, and the development of Colby Rasmus combined with the arrival of Matt Holliday relegated him to backup duty for most of the second half. Having filed for free agency, the 30-year-old will look to start over with a new team and reclaim the stroke that produced 25 homers and a .506 slugging percentage in '08.

A nice afternoon from Ankiel, who closed out a quiet September hitting .245 with a homer and three RBIs over 49 at-bats for the month.

Ankiel's value was severely curtailed after Matt Holliday came over from the Rockies and Colby Rasmus ascended to everyday duty in the Cards' outfield. The veteran masher has only made three starts in September and has scored just 14 runs during the season's second half.

The injury is not considered serious, despite how scared Holliday owners may have been after watching the star outfielder trip over first base. "It's just a little bit swollen," said Holliday. "I just thought with an 11 1/2-game lead [in the NL Central], there's no reason to push." Holliday went 0-for-1 and collected his 96th RBI before Rick Ankiel replaced him and went 0-for-2. Holliday expects to return to action Friday, when the club opens a homestand with a series against the Braves.

While Ankiel was not exactly lighting things up before he landed with the Cards, the arrival of Matt Holliday virtually stamped out what was left of Ankiel's mixed-league value this season. After going nearly two weeks without a hit -- and making only a handful of starts -- the lefty slugger's average has dipped down to .232 on the year.

Ankiel hadn't reached base even twice in 18 previous games, including 11 starts. That streak typifies Ankiel's extended dry spells throughout the '09 campaign, which has resulted in a .233 batting average and just 35 RBIs. He's an option strictly in NL-only formats.

Finding playing time in the crowded Cardinals outfield has been a challenge for Ankiel, who has to contend with Matt Holliday, rookie Colby Rasmus and Ryan Ludwick. Manager Tony LaRussa is doing his best to work him into the rotation, however, largely at the expense of Rasmus and occasionally the slumping Ludwick. Despite his fourth-outfielder status, Ankiel goes into Sunday riding a six-game hit streak.

This was a welcome turn of events for Ankiel, who entered the game on a 4-for-23 (.174) skid and seemed to be losing his foothold in the Cardinals' crowded outfield rotation. He's not out of the woods yet -- Ankiel still has just a .234 average on the season -- but he can provide some pop to fantasy owners if he can find his stroke.

Ankiel, held out of the starting lineup due to a mild groin strain, was still able to make an appearance in Tuesday’s game. His status remains day-to-day. Once fully back, however, he's hardly guaranteed a starting spot with Matt Holliday, Colby Rasmus and Ryan Ludwick to compete with for playing time.

Ankiel, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI single and two runs scored, suffered the strain while swinging during an at-bat on Monday night. The outfielder has been red-hot over his past 17 games, hitting .419 with six extra-base hits and just three strikeouts. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said that he would try to avoid using Ankiel on Tuesday night but that he could probably play in an emergency.

According to Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, Rasmus should be available to start on Tuesday, despite not getting in a pinch-hit appearance Monday night. In his place, Rick Ankiel once again started in center field and went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Rasmus has undergone a second injection in the area to help ease the pain.

Ankiel stretched his hitting streak to four games, including back-to-back three-hit tilts. He also has a homer in two of his last three games, so it's evident Ankiel is getting back on track after going 2-for-30 (.067) in his first 14 July affairs.

This move can only help Holliday, who hit .286 with 11 home runs and 54 RBIs after Oakland acquired him from Colorado last offseason. The Cardinals have a more hitter-friendly ballpark than do the A’s, and with Albert Pujols and a resurgent Ryan Ludwick providing his protection, look for Holliday to produce closer to his .315/.385/.541 career line the rest of the way. As for Oakland’s end of the deal, Wallace is the one to watch. Widely considered St. Louis’ top prospect, the 22-year-old hit .293/.346/.429 in 62 Triple-A games and could immediately slot into an infield corner in Oakland. Mortensen adds to the A’s stable of talented young pitching and Peterson, a second-round Draft choice in 2008, has good numbers in Double-A. The acquisition of Holliday likely sends Rick Ankiel to the bench.

With Duncan no longer taking up space as the Cardinals left fielder, look for Rick Ankiel to step in and receive the lion's share of playing time there. The opportunity is long overdue. Remember, he raked 20 homers and 50 RBIs before the 2008 All-Star break. The opening makes Ankiel the clear-cut winner of the trade. Duncan has a tough road ahead of him in Boston, where he'll have to fight not only for playing time but for a spot on Boston's roster. With the club having already acquired another lefty-swinging first baseman in Adam LaRoche, Duncan will start out at Triple-A Pawtucket instead of with the Red Sox. Lugo, on the other hand, gets a much-needed change of scenery. Things couldn't be any worse than they were in Boston, where he spent three disappointing seasons. In St. Louis, he gives Cardinals manager Tony La Russa another shortstop to choose from if Brendan Ryan falters or needs time off.

Ankiel, who has started just two games since July 7, is still dealing with pain stemming from his scary collision with the Busch Stadium wall in left-center field on May 4. "He's got some issues, but he's still active," La Russa said before the Cardinals' series finale with the D-backs. "I think it's affecting his swing. We'll just observe, and the more he is himself, we'll get more serious about putting him in there." Ankiel was not in Sunday's starting lineup, but was available to pinch-hit.