Though Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella wouldn’t say it outright, you can mark it down that: (a) Alfonso Soriano will play today, but (b) he will not be batting lead-off.
“We’ll probably make a few adjustments with our lineup tomorrow,” Piniella said after Friday’s game. “I can tell you I have confidence in the young man [Soriano], and I feel he’s going to hit. But we are going to make some adjustments with the lineup.”
Asked if that meant Soriano would not be leading off, which he has done for all but two games this year, Piniella would not say.
“We need to get him jump-started somehow,” Piniella said. cubs.com.
Soriano has batting out of the top spot twice before this year, having basically zero success in those efforts batting third.
The wise money has Sam Fuld starting in place of Milton Bradley today, and batting first – with Soriano slid down to fourth, fifth, or sixth.
I’d probably hit him 8th for now. And 9th when Zambrano pitches.