According to Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, the Pirates are among eight teams who have checked in on free agent shortstop Rafael Furcal.

Furcal's agent passed along the update. The 36-year-old missed the entire 2013 season following Tommy John surgery, but there's a chance he could find a guaranteed major league deal in a weak market for free agent shortstops. The Mets are among the other teams who have reportedly expressed interest.

The Mets have contacted free agent shortstop Rafael Furcal, according to the Newark Star Ledger.

Jhonny Peralta and Stephen Drew are New York's primary shortstop targets, according to the paper, with Furcal as a fallback option. Furcal missed the 2013 season following Tommy John surgery. Mets general manager Alderson publicly declared Ruben Tejada was not part of the team's "core" and it appears as though the team is motivated to ensure Tejada will not enter 2014 as a starter.

Cardinals transferred SS Rafael Furcal from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list.

The move was made in order to clear room on the 40-man roster for the addition of Carlos Martinez. Furcal is out for the season following Tommy John surgery.

Cardinals placed SS Rafael Furcal on the 15-day disabled list with a right elbow injury.

Furcal, of course, is recovering from Tommy John surgery and will miss the 2013 season. The Cards are rolling with Pete Kozma at shortstop.

Rafael Furcal underwent successful Tommy John surgery Wednesday.

Furcal also had a bone spur removed from his right elbow. The veteran infielder will miss all of the 2013 season, with the Cardinals filling in with Pete Kozma at shortstop.

Rafael Furcal will undergo Tommy John surgery next Wednesday in Pensacola, Florida.

The operation will be performed by Dr. James Andrews. Furcal's rehab will last 6-8 months, and he hopes his next game action will be in the Dominican Winter League, where he'll likely play second base. The Cardinals will go into the season with Pete Kozma as their shortstop.

Rafael Furcal will require Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.

Furcal was originally diagnosed with a UCL tear last August, but he attempted to rehab the injury rather than undergo surgery. The gamble didn't pay off, as the elbow immediately gave him problems this spring. While position players can return from Tommy John surgery sooner than pitchers, the procedure will knock him out for the entire 2013 season. Ronny Cedeno and Pete Kozma are the likely candidates to take over at shortstop if the Cardinals don't make an addition from outside the organization.

Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said the probability that Rafael Furcal (elbow) will be ready for Opening Day is "a longshot."

It was pretty obvious following Furcal's recent setback that he wouldn't be at shortstop on Opening Day, but it's nice to get some clarity straight from the GM's mouth. Furcal was examined Monday by team medical director Dr. George Paletta and will get a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews on Wednesday. It's usually ominous when someone is sent to Dr. Andrews, but Mozeliak said that Furcal won't necessarily need surgery. Mo expects to have "finality" of Furcal's situation by "mid- to late week."

Rafael Furcal is slated to get a second opinion on his ailing right elbow from Dr. James Andrews on Wednesday.

Furcal was examined Monday by team medical director Dr. George Paletta, but the Cardinals aren't expected to make an announcement about his status until after he meets with Andres. The veteran shortstop was diagnosed with a partial tear of his ulnar collateral ligament last August, but decided to rehab the injury rather than undergo Tommy John surgery. However, he is back to the drawing board now that the discomfort hasn't subsided.

Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said that Rafael Furcal had an MRI Friday that showed his elbow is inflamed but indicated no tear in the ligament.

Furcal will be examined again on Monday by team medical director Dr. George Paletta. The shortstop resisted Tommy John surgery last August, but it's possible he'll have to reconsider if further testing reveals that his ligament is compromised. Furcal has also dealt with a bone spur in the elbow. The Cards will use Ronny Cedeno and Pete Kozma at shortstop while Furcal is on the shelf.

Rafael Furcal said Saturday that his elbow is "not getting better," and he's not sure if he'll be ready to play on Opening Day.

Furcal, who is dealing with a torn ligament and also more recently a bone spur in the elbow, began to feel worse as he ramped up his throwing program this past week. The bone spur had been giving him more issues, but apparently it's the ligament that is now again the major problem. He has been shut down from throwing and hitting for an undetermined amount of time. "What do you want me to do?" Furcal said. "It's not getting better. I wish I could do whatever I could to make it better, so I could play." It's looking more and more like Ronny Cedeno will be the Cardinals' Opening Day shortstop, though he'd probably share the position with Pete Kozma.

Rafael Furcal (elbow) is not in the Cardinals' lineup Saturday.

Rafael Furcal reported no ill effects with his elbow Tuesday, a day after he took some swings from the left side of the plate.

The switch-hitter had been limited to swinging from the right side. Furcal still isn't close to 100 percent, but he's improving enough that he could test out his elbow in the field by the end of the week.

Rafael Furcal (elbow) said he's "progressing well" and could play the field in games by this weekend.

Two days after getting an anti-inflammatory shot for his elbow, Rafael Furcal went 0-for-2 from the DH spot on Sunday.

Furcal is limited to batting right-handed at the moment and was only going to get the one at-bat against Jon Lester, but he did get to bat a second time after the Red Sox brought in another lefty in reliever Andrew Miller. Furcal's status for Opening Day figures to remain up in the air for several weeks.

Rafael Furcal received an anti-inflammatory shot in his right elbow Friday.

That right elbow remains a concern for Furcal and the Cardinals. Furcal, 35, tore a ligament in the elbow late in the 2012 season that kept him out the final two months, including the playoffs. As a result of the treatment, Furcal will not play in the field or bat left-handed until the pain subsides. His status for Opening Day is still uncertain.

Rafael Furcal served as the DH during an intersquad game on Friday, and recorded two hits in his three trips to the plate.

Furcal is still experiencing pain in his surgically-repaired right elbow, and will be limited to DH duty once he is finally able to play in Grapefruit League games. They'll continue to limit his exposure while he rehabs the injury, and looks unlikely to be ready by Opening Day.

Rafael Furcal said Thursday in camp that his right elbow "still hurts" when he tries to throw.

"It still hurts," Furcal told reporters. "A lot." The veteran shortstop opted to rehab a torn UCL in his throwing elbow rather than undergo Tommy John surgery. And it doesn't seem like he's making a smooth recovery. The Cardinals may have to start Ronny Cedeno at shortstop.

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said Tuesday that Rafael Furcal (elbow) won't be available for the early part of the Grapefruit League schedule.

Furcal was diagnosed with a torn UCL in his throwing elbow late last year, so the Cardinals don't want to push him too soon. Matheny hasn't committed to when he'll be available, but there's no indication that he has suffered any sort of setback. It's worth noting that the Cardinals added Ronny Cedeno over the winter as insurance.

Rafael Furcal (elbow) has been cleared to hit, field and throw without limitation heading into spring training.

A torn UCL ended Furcal's season in late August last year, but the Cardinals don't expect the injury to limit his participation this spring. The 35-year old began 2012 on a tear before injuries derailed his season late. Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said the team will keep an eye on Furcal in the early going to make sure he isn't pushed too quickly.