The St. Louis Cardinals are coming off consecutive victories over the Chicago Cubs and will now look to carry that momentum into their series against the Cincinnati Reds. After scoring 19 runs across their final two games against Chicago, the Cardinals have made an important adjustment to their lineup for the opening game of Monday’s doubleheader.
The biggest change involves highly touted rookie outfielder Joshua Báez.
Joshua Báez Moves Into Leadoff Role
Báez is set to bat first for the Cardinals against the Reds, a notable change after he occupied the No. 5 spot in the lineup during his most recent game against the Cubs. The promotion to the leadoff position gives the young outfielder an opportunity to make an immediate impact at the top of the order.
The move comes after Báez endured a difficult game Sunday, going 0-for-5 with three strikeouts. However, that performance does little to diminish the excitement surrounding his first taste of Major League Baseball.
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In his MLB debut on Saturday, Báez put on an extraordinary display, launching three home runs and driving in five runs. His performance immediately generated excitement around the Cardinals and established him as one of the team’s most intriguing young players.
Báez is taking over the leadoff role from JJ Wetherholt, who is not in the lineup for the first game of Monday’s doubleheader.
Cardinals’ Opening-Game Lineup
The Cardinals’ lineup for the first game against Cincinnati features Báez in left field and at the top of the batting order. The rest of the lineup is:
- Joshua Báez — LF
- Ivan Herrera — DH
- Jordan Walker — RF
- Alec Burleson — 1B
- Jose Fermin — 2B
- Maysyn Winn — SS
- Blaze Jordan — 3B
- Everson Pereira — CF
- Pedro Pages — C
Quinn Matthews is scheduled to start on the mound for St. Louis.
Báez Has Another Chance to Impress
With Báez now leading off, the Cardinals are giving their exciting rookie another opportunity to make an impact. His three-homer debut demonstrated the kind of power he can bring to the lineup, and the Cardinals will hope he can quickly bounce back from Sunday’s difficult outing.
St. Louis entered Monday with a 63-61 record and sat 3.5 games behind the San Diego Padres for the National League’s final Wild Card position. With the playoff race tightening, the Cardinals will need contributions from their young players as they attempt to remain in contention.
Báez will now have the opportunity to provide that spark from the very top of the lineup.
