St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Carlos Beltran has been under weather for the past few days and as a result, he won't be in the Cardinals' lineup for the series opener against the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.

Beltran was out of the lineup on Thursday battling what the teams referred to as a stomach virus, one that he was also apparently suffering from the Cardinals' win on Wednesday against the Chicago White Sox. He was actually one of the key players on Wednesday, recording his 19th homer of the year for the only score of the game and making a difficult diving catch in right field in the sixth inning.

Baseball Nation is your source for news, notes and analysis around Major League Baseball. Head over to Royals Review to read more about the Kansas City Royals and check out Viva El Birdos for the St. Louis Cardinals fans' perspective.