Fighting for a spot in the XFL playoffs with three weeks left in the regular season, the St. Louis Battlehawks will play the Vegas Vipers on Saturday without quarterback AJ McCarron.

During the Battlehawks’ 24-15 victory over the Houston Roughnecks on Sunday, the former Alabama All-American left the game for the sideline medical tent after being tackled at the end of the 8-yard scramble. But he returned to the field after missing only three snaps.

Thursday’s injury update from the Battlehawks listed McCarron as a limited participant in practice on Wednesday and Thursday and showed his game status as questionable because of a shoulder injury.

On Saturday, St. Louis listed McCarron among its six inactive players for the game against the Vipers.

In the Battlehawks’ first seven games, McCarron has taken every snap at quarterback except the three against Houston, when backup Nick Tiano came on the field.

McCarron has completed 157-of-228 passes for 1,544 yards with 17 touchdowns and four interceptions and run for 90 yards and one touchdown on 25 carries. The former St. Paul’s Episcopal star has five more TD passes than any other player in the league this season.

St. Louis has a 5-2 record, tied with the Seattle Sea Dragons for second place in the XFL North. They are one-game behind the D.C. Defenders. The top two teams in both divisions advance to the XFL playoffs.

The Battlehawks lost their two regular-season meetings with the Defenders, but they defeated the Sea Dragons 20-18 on Feb. 23 with a field goal on the final snap of the game.

The Battlehawks play the Vipers at noon CDT Saturday at the Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis. ESPN will televise the game.

The Defenders and Sea Dragons square off at 6 p.m. Sunday to complete Week 8 on the XFL schedule.

Seattle visits St. Louis at 2 p.m. April 16, and the Battlehawks close the regular season at home against the Orlando Guardians at 11 a.m. April 22.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.