Pete Kozma, Daniel Descalso and Kolten Wong all homered Thursday in the Cardinals' 7-6 win over the Yankees. Rafael Furcal announces that he's undergoing Tommy John surgery and all of the Cardinals' middle-infield candidates decide to step it up at once. The homers were the second of the spring for both Kozma and Descalso. Those two are likely the favorites to be the Opening Day double-play combination, with Kozma at short and Descalso at second. Still, Ronny Cedeno and Matt Carpenter remian in the mix. As for Wong, he's due a couple of months in the minors, but he could take over at second later on.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Rick Hummel writes that, with Rafael Furcal out indefinitely, Pete Kozma "appears to be the Cardinals' shortstop." Hummel is reading the tea leaves more than anything at this point, as Kozma started a second straight game at short Monday and has outplayed Ronny Cedeno by a wide margin so far this spring. Kozma is batting .409 with a homer and two doubles in seven Grapefruit League games, while Cedeno is hitting just .125 and made a pair of throwing errors in his last start. The former first-round pick batted .333/.383/.569 with two home runs and 14 RBI in 26 games last year for the Cards, but his minor league track record is uninspiring. He and Cedeno could wind up sharing the position if Furcal is sidelined for a while. The Cards could also consider Daniel Descalso at short if Matt Carpenter proves to be capable at second base.

Pete Kozma went 3-for-3 on Sunday and is 9-for-20 this spring. Ronny Cedeno has struggled offensively and defensively in camp, so Kozma would seem to have the inside track at the shortstop position if Rafael Furcal needs to open the season on the disabled list.

Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said the team will need to "get some support" at shortstop if Rafael Furcal's elbow doesn't hold up. In other words, they're not going to count on Pete Kozma as the primary backup at short. It's a wise decision, as while Kozma surprised everyone with how well he hit down the stretch, his minor league track record suggests it was a fluke. Mozeliak would like to have a clearer picture about Furcal's health by December, at which point he could pursue help outside the organization.

Pete Kozma launched a three-run homer in the Cardinals' NLDS Game 3 win over the Nationals on Wednesday. Kozma's bomb to left field gave the Cardinals a 4-0 advantage in the second inning, and they'd pour on four more runs before the conclusion of the victory. The young shortstop had a hot September and has continued to roll here in the postseason. The Redbirds barely miss Rafael Furcal.

Pete Kozma finished 3-for-4 in the Cardinals' extra-inning loss to the Nationals on Saturday. Kozma got the Cardinals on the board in the bottom of the seventh inning with a two-run double to left field. He's been a savior in the absence of Rafael Furcal, batting .306/.353/.565 with nine extra-base hits in 62 at-bats. We'll see how long the hotness lasts.

Pete Kozma homered for the second straight game in Monday's win over the Astros. He also drew a walk in addition to the solo shot and infield single. A former first-round pick, Kozma has been surprisingly productive since taking over as the Cardinals' regular shortstop, batting .298/.358/.596 with a couple homers over 18 games.

Pete Kozma went 3-for-4 with a triple, a double and two RBI against the Padres on Monday. Kozma hit just .232/.292/.355 in 448 at-bats for Triple-A Memphis this season, but he's 5-for-11 with three extra-base hits since his callup. He's not at all likely to keep hitting, but since he's a strong defender, he may well be the Cardinals' primary shortstop the rest of the way.

Cardinals recalled INF Pete Kozma from Triple-A Memphis. The Cardinals have yet to announce a corresponding roster move, but Rafael Furcal (elbow) will presumably be placed on the disabled list. Kozma, who is in the starting lineup Friday vs. the Nationals, had a brief stint with the Cards earlier this year and has a .236/.308/.344 batting line over parts of six seasons in the minors. Daniel Descalso is the one to own in NL-only leagues.

Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com reports that the Cardinals are not expected to pursue help outside the organization to replace Rafael Furcal (elbow). Furcal likely needs Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, but the Cards are content with Daniel Descalso replacing him at shortstop. They're also expected to call up Pete Kozma from Triple-A Memphis for depth.