"Lance Berkman's Lazarus-type first month of the season is among the several items — bullpen shuffles, angst over Albert Pujols' slow start, Chris Carpenter's failure to win — that might have overshadowed what Matt Holliday has done for the Cardinals since March 31.

That was the day Holliday started the season by going three for four with a home run while playing with pain so severe that he would have to have an appendectomy the next day. Somewhat remarkably, he came back after missing just seven games. "Honestly, I could have played a couple of days before I did," Holliday said.

Since his return, Holliday, even though he says he still feels a cramp in his left side, has acted as if he didn't miss any time, let alone miss that time after having surgery.

Holliday, who had two run-scoring singles Thursday in the Cardinals' 6-3 win over Florida at Busch Stadium, has batted .402 since he came back. He is riding an 11-game hitting streak in which he has batted .422. He is hitting .500 (15 for 30) with men in scoring position. His average has been so high for so long that he improved his overall mark by only five points to .417 during his streak.

Tough league, as manager Tony La Russa would say. But tough hitter and tough man, as La Russa did say Thursday after the game as, still weakened by the virus that clobbered him, he tried to nap in his office.

Given Holliday's rapid comeback from surgery, La Russa was asked facetiously if he would recommend it to all his players.

"You know what I would recommend?" said La Russa, with one eye still open, "I would recommend that you take his work ethic during the off-season ... relentless and smart — and you make that part of your professional life.

"And then you go into spring training and you maintain this work ethic. Now, it's beyond physical. It also includes getting your skills ready. So what happens is when you have a break, like an appendectomy, you come back almost immediately. All that work pays off. That's why he came back that quickly and didn't really miss a stride.

"That's what I would recommend. Some people were being skeptical (after the Cardinals acquired Holliday in 2009) when they saw him work and said that it was because he was going to be a free agent. But we saw him work last year all year long and he was secure (in a long-time contract)."