Rafael Furcal RUMORS & NEWS

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "After being resistant to the idea when the injury first occurred, Cardinals shortstop Rafael Furcal has decided to have ligament replacement surgery on his right elbow, a procedure that could keep him off the field for the 2013 season. Furcal and the Cardinals announced this morning that Furcal..." March 07

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "The next time the Cardinals take the field, Rafael Furcal won’t be with them. After an off-day Tuesday, the Cardinals will resume Grapefruit League play on Wednesday but Furcal is expected to be getting a second opinion on his ailing right elbow that day. “We’ll probably have him see Dr...." March 05

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "The next time the Cardinals take the field, Rafael Furcal won’t be with them. After an off-day Tuesday, the Cardinals will resume Grapefruit League play on Wednesday but Furcal is expected to be getting a second opinion on his ailing right elbow that day. “We’ll probably have him see Dr...." March 04

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Cardinals shortstop Rafael Furcal has had a significant setback in his recovery from a torn ligament in his right elbow and the club is now left to pursue options for treatment. As Rick Hummel reported in this morning's Post-Dispatch, Furcal experienced ongoing and increasing pain in the right..." March 03

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Not only was Cardinals shortstop Rafael Furcal unable to play Saturday, which had been his target date a few days before, he has no idea when he again will test his ailing right elbow. Furcal, who suffered a torn ligament in the elbow Aug. 30 and then was plagued by a bone spur this spring,..." March 03

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Cardinals manager Mike Matheny came off the 1-day disabled list today, even though he probably was far from 100 percent. Overnight on Thursday/Friday, Matheny said he was “locked up” with a herniated disc in his lower back which affected his right leg. “Then when that got me to the point..." March 02

Viva El Birdos "Last week we wondered whether the St. Louis Cardinals really expected Rafael Furcal to play a starter's share of games this season, despite his many and varied injury problems. On Monday Joe Strauss answered: No, probably not. Here's the blockquote, which should make the Cardinals' decision to go..." February 26

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "In an attempt to get him two plate appearances from the right side of the plate -- the side his balky elbow will allow him to swing comfortably -- the Cardinals will start Rafael Furcal today at designated hitter and leadoff for their game against Boston. The Red Sox, journeying from the other..." February 24

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Switch-hitting shortstop Rafael Furcal may take his first at-bat of spring training because the situation is right, not because his elbow is yet. Furcal received an anti-inflammatory shot in his right elbow on Friday, the shortstop confirmed this afternoon. The more aggressive treatment to tame..." February 23

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Cardinals shortstop Rafael Furcal continues to be hampered by pain in his right elbow, and on Thursday the club suggested that the switch-hitter only bat from the right side of the plate, limiting the stress caused on his elbow by batting lefthanded. Furcal said the soreness in the elbow was..." February 21

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "The encouraging news the Cardinals received last week about Rafael Furcal's right elbow was confirmed Monday by a scan taken of the shortstop's injured arm, general manager John Mozeliak told a national radio show. After returning to his offseason home from the Dominican Republic, Furcal met..." November 20

Hardball Talk "Rafael Furcal is currently rehabbing a strained ligament in his right elbow. He was originally given a 4-6 week timetable, which left open the long shot possibility that he could return if club goes on another deep run in the postseason, but the Cardinals closed that window today. According to..." September 25

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "The Cardinals placed shortstop Rafael Furcal on the disabled list Friday, a move that represents a tacit admission that the All-Star defender will miss the remainder of the season with a damaged elbow ligament. An MRI performed on Furcal's elbow discovered a tear of the ulnar collateral..." September 01

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "The Cardinals officially have placed Rafael Furcal on the disabled list while unofficially conceding the All-Star shortstop's season is over. A magnetic resonance imaging performed in St. Louis this afternoon found a tear in Furcal's right ulnar collateral ligament. Even a minimal, or Grade I,..." August 31

ESPN.com "St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Rafael Furcal might return home from the team's road trip for further testing after straining his right elbow in an 8-1 loss to the Washington Nationals on Thursday night. Furcal was asked whether he was concerned the injury might end his season. "Sort of,"..." August 31

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "An eroding road trip is becoming a harmful one as well. Shortstop Rafael Furcal left Thursday's sixth inning with an apparent forearm issue after assisting on a force out. Furcal made a cross-fire throw to second base for the inning's second out then grabbed at his arm. Head athletic trainer..." August 30

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Cardinals shortstop Rafael Furcal felt enough of the tension ease in his lower back to take part in the team's pregame work Tuesday, but he said he'd rather miss a few more games now than push himself into an extended absence as he did once before. "That happened when I was in LA (with the..." August 01

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Somewhere between first and second base the mob engulfed Rafael Furcal. They ripped at his jersey, punched him, grabbed him and made the little shortstop a throw toy. Thanks, the Cardinals were saying, for breathing life back into a season. An out away from suffering one of the worst in a..." July 09

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Cardinals shortstop Rafael Furcal, who never has been voted an All-Star Game starter, has taken over the balloting lead at shortstop for the National League team for the July 10 All-Star Game in Kansas City. Furcal leads Colorado's Troy Tulowitzki by some 94,000 votes. "They finally want to..." June 20

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Rafael Furcal knows himself better than you do. And if pressed, he'll tell you he knows himself better than the organization that acquired him last July or the manager who took over the Cardinals last November. He knows well the kind of player he was when earning recognition as National..." May 13

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "It was not necessarily one of those "happy flights" the Cardinals took to Pittsburgh on Thursday night after their 6-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds at Busch Stadium. After winning 10 consecutive getaway-day games in September and October covering the regular season and postseason last year, the..." April 20

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "The saying goes that they don't put your spring training averages on your bubblegum cards. If they did, David Freese and Rafael Furcal would have enjoyed the gum more, and that's saying something for anybody who has had that particular chewing experience. Third baseman Freese, the World Series..." April 05

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "A December game of catch has led to a March game of catch-up for Rafael Furcal. During the interim between the Cardinals shortstop filing for free agency and re-signing with the club for two years, Furcal felt sharp pain on his lower right side while throwing a ball to his daughter outside his..." March 05

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "When shortstop Rafael Furcal made his first start for the Cardinals last season on Aug. 1 in Milwaukee, third baseman David Freese said he felt this jolt of energy to his left, a mix of range, spunk and kinetic edge. Freese pulled his new teammate aside in the clubhouse. "Whatever you have,..." March 01

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "On the day first baseman Albert Pujols makes his departure from the Cardinals official, the team he left behind has already moved on to address other needs. The Cardinals will finalize a two-year, $14-million deal with shortstop Rafael Furcal early next week. The deal has been agreed upon..." December 11

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "With baseball's free agent market officially open for business and players permitted to sign with any bidder, Cardinals shortstop Rafael Furcal has already received initial overtures from a half dozen teams. But he's willing to wait for the Cardinals. Furcal's agent, Paul Kinzer, said he has..." November 04

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "The Cardinals declined to exercise the 2012 options on contracts for shortstop Rafael Furcal and reliever Octavio Dotel, allowing each veteran to reach free agency but not closing the door entirely to the club's interest in their return. The Cardinals officially exercised the 2012 option for..." November 01

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Matt Holliday, who had been sidelined with a tendon injury in his right hand, was back in the Cardinals' lineup today for the first time since Sept. 13. But his baserunning form was not quite back. Holliday, after reaching base on a two-out error in the fourth, ran into an inning-ending..." September 24

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Cardinals leadoff man Rafael Furcal has hit six home runs — five against Milwaukee — since coming in a trade from the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 31. But until Friday night, he had no stolen bases for the Cardinals and had tried to steal just once. Furcal said he didn't know he was two..." September 10

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "Shortstop Rafael Furcal has made a strong impression on his new team. Furcal says the feeling is mutual. Stopping short of offering his hopes for next season, Furcal made clear that he is open to hearing what the Cardinals may have to say about making him part of their 2012 team, or..." September 06

Los Angeles Times "Now wearing Cardinals red instead of Dodgers blue, veteran shortstop Rafael Furcal said he was adjusting quickly to his new surroundings in St. Louis. "I'm doing pretty good," he said before Monday's game. "I'm not hitting the way I'm used to hitting, but I'm playing good defense and I'm on the..." August 23

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "When the Cardinals fail to catch a break, they still can't dodge a sprain. Shortstop Rafael Furcal missed a second straight start in Sunday night's nationally telecast game against the Chicago Cubs because of a severe thumb sprain suffered in a fall before Saturday's 3-0 loss. Furcal, whom..." August 22

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "As hitting streaks go, Rafael Furcal's is modest by any standard. In crafting a six-game skein, the new Cardinals shortstop has had only seven hits in 28 at-bats, which is a .250 average. While that may seem pedestrian, Furcal was batting just .205 when the streak started. Now he is all the way..." August 12

Los Angeles Times "Ned Colletti compared the timing of the acquisition to that of Manny Ramirez. Only this time, the Dodgers general manager wasn't getting a 12-time All-Star to fortify the team's offense for a playoff push. In a three-team deal consummated only minutes before Sunday's non-waiver trading..." August 01

L.A. Daily News "When the Dodgers take the field for today's game, they will do so knowing that this will be their team the rest of the way. The trade deadline will have passed and, except for possible moves via the waiver wire, they will have said goodbye to any familiar faces shipped to contenders. While..." July 31

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "The Cardinals on Saturday acquired shortstop Rafael Furcal and cash considerations from the Los Angeles Dodgers for a minor-league outfielder the teams have yet to identify. The deal became final when Furcal, who possesses sufficient service time to veto any trade, waived his privilege. Furcal..." July 31

Hardball Talk "The deal isn't quite official yet, but Rafael Furcal has waived his 10-and-5 rights and will accept a trade to the Cardinals. As for who the Dodgers will get in return, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Dispatch reports that it'll be a one-for-one swap with Double-A outfielder Alex Castellanos..." July 31

St. Louis Post-Dispatch "With less than two days remaining before the non-waiver trade deadline, the Cardinals have focused on acquiring a shortstop in a market an official with the team once described as thin on options at that position. As part of their search for an upgrade at shortstop, the Cardinals have had..." July 30

ESPN.com "On another Dodgers front, one exec who spoke with them reports the Giants have talked to L.A. about shortstop Rafael Furcal. " July 28

L.A. Daily News "The 100th game of the Dodgers season came and went on a breezy Saturday night in Los Angeles. You just knew the Dodgers couldn't let the occasion come and go without doing something unusual. So, in honor of a season that's gone horribly wrong on so many different levels, we give you this curious..." July 24

L.A. Daily News "Chad Billingsley is no stranger to being a hero in Dodgers victories. Javy Guerra and Rafael Furcal joined him as being instrumental in Friday's 1-0 victory over the San Diego Padres. Guerra and Furcal haven't been in that position much this year. Billinsgley pitched a brilliant game, in..." July 09

Los Angeles Times "What Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly said he remembered most about Dee Gordon's first stint in the majors wasn't his speed or his swing. Speaking about the shortstop prospect the Dodgers sent to triple-A Albuquerque on Monday, Mattingly recalled a recent conversation they had in the infield..." July 05

The Press-Enterprise "The revolving door that is the Dodgers' disabled list spun again Sunday, bringing Rafael Furcal back on the roster while sending Casey Blake off -- and giving rookie Dee Gordon a reprieve from a return to the minor leagues. Manager Don Mattingly said the decision to put Blake on the DL came..." July 04

Los Angeles Times "As shortstop Rafael Furcal came back from the disabled list Sunday, another Dodgers veteran, third baseman Casey Blake, went on the DL for the third time this season. Blake, 37, has struggled with a persistent sore neck. "He's been battling this thing," Manager Don Mattingly said before the..." July 04

Los Angeles Times "Rafael Furcal is expected to return as the Dodgers shortstop Sunday. Less certain is where he'll hit in the batting order. Tony Gwynn Jr.'s emergence as a capable leadoff hitter could thrust Furcal lower in the order. "More than anything, he's taken over that leadoff spot and that's really..." July 03

Los Angeles Times "Sidelined shortstop Rafael Furcal could return from the disabled list as a second baseman so rookie Dee Gordon can remain in the lineup, Manager Don Mattingly said. Mattingly said he and General Manager Ned Colletti have discussed the possibility of a position change for Furcal, who has played..." June 25

Los Angeles Times "Sidelined shortstop Rafael Furcal could begin a minor league rehabilitation assignment as soon as next week, trainer Stan Conte said. Furcal was able to field grounders and throw Monday, something Conte described as a significant step, considering he was hurt doing exactly that. Furcal, who has..." June 21

Los Angeles Times "Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal said he wanted to cry. But as frustrated as he was about landing on the disabled list for the second time this season, Furcal refused to say the "R" word Saturday. You know, "retire." Furcal said he learned his lesson in April, when he mentioned the..." June 05

The Press-Enterprise "Rafael Furcal has been back in the Dodgers lineup for more than a week, but his bat finally showed up on Sunday. Ignited by Furcal's three-hit afternoon -- including his first home run this season -- the Dodgers pounded out a season-high 17 hits in lavish support of a two-hitter by Clayton..." May 30

MLB.com "Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal arrived in Chicago in time to go through a postgame workout Saturday at U.S. Cellular Field and, if he is sound Sunday, could be activated from the disabled list. Furcal spent five weeks on the shelf with a broken left thumb, but the most recent concern was a..." May 22