With an off-day tomorrow, and a day game after a night game, a couple Cubs regulars are getting some rest today:
- Tommy La Stella, 2B
- Jason Heyward, CF
- Kris Bryant, 3B
- Anthony Rizzo, 1B
- Jorge Soler, RF
- Miguel Montero, C
- Matt Szczur, LF
- Addison Russell, SS
- Jason Hammel, P
Dexter Fowler, baseball’s current MVP by WAR (2.0!), gets a little rest, with Jason Heyward sliding over into center field. Jorge Soler starts in right field, with Matt Szczur picking up a start in left. It’s a small sample of just 21 plate appearances, but Szczur is making the most of his chances so far, hitting .333/.429/.556.[adinserter block=”1″]
Ben Zobrist also gets a day off, with Tommy La Stella making a start – and leading off – at second base. Lefties have hit Reds starter Alfredo Simon much better than righties in recent years, so getting La Stella a start today makes even more sense. It’s also nice to give Zobrist an extra day off here and there, given his age. Not that he’s super old – he and I are both 34 – it’s just that he could probably stand to get the rest a little more than his younger teammates.
We’ll have a full Pre-Gamin’ a little closer to game time.