St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday was having an appendectomy Friday and the team is unsure how long he will be out.

General manager John Mozeliak said the surgery in St. Louis is not an emergency procedure, and that he’ll have an idea today how long the 31-year-old will be sidelined.

Holliday was 3-for-4 and hit a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning of Thursday’s 5-3, 11-inning loss to the San Diego Padres. Holliday left Busch Stadium complaining of stomach discomfort.

“I think they caught it early, so I think that’s good news,” Mozeliak said. “I don’t think it’s that bad of a blow to the team.”

The home run was the first of Holliday’s career on opening day, and he also matched a career best with three hits on opening day.

SANCHEZ’S NEW DEAL

Giants second baseman Freddy Sanchez is sticking around for another year.

San Francisco rewarded Sanchez with a new deal Friday that adds a $6 million salary for 2012, securing a key member of the infield for the World Series champions.

Sanchez, 33, signed a $12 million, two-year deal with the Giants on Oct. 30, 2009, after coming to San Francisco at the trading deadline from Pittsburgh that year.

Sanchez batted .254 with four doubles and three RBI in 15 games in his first career postseason last fall after nine years in the big leagues. He was the first player in major league history with three doubles in his first three World Series at-bats as the Giants captured their first championship since moving West to San Francisco in 1958.

SHORT HOPS

Before beginning their first season without Bob Feller in 75 years, the Cleveland Indians saluted the late Hall of Famer. Feller died on Dec. 15 of acute leukemia at age 92. Each of the Indians players wore Feller’s No. 19 jersey during introductions prior to Cleveland’s 15-10 loss to the Chicago White Sox. Former Boston Red Sox general manager Lou Gorman, the architect of the team that came within one strike of winning the 1986 World Series, died early Friday morning of congestive heart failure. He was 82. Baltimore left-hander Brian Matusz was scratched from his scheduled start today due to soreness on the left side of his mid-back and will be placed on the disabled list.