Cardinals' Arenado Asks to be Moved Down in Lineup
Having won 12 of their last 14 games, the Cardinals are one of the hottest teams in baseball. While just about everything seems to be going right for the Redbirds, it's been a rough last week or so for eight-time All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado.
In his last seven games, Arenado is slashing just .172/.194/.310. He's now hitting .247 on the year, with four homers and 18 RBIs.
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Arenado has been the cleanup hitter for the Cardinals in every game he's played in this season, but that won't be the case for tonight's game against the Tigers.
Amid his struggles at the plate and with other guys in the order being red-hot while hitting behind him, Arenado went to manager Oli Marmol, asking to be moved down in the order.
Cardinals third baseman Nolan ArenadoPeter Aiken-Imagn Images
"Guys are playing well in front of me, or that were hitting behind me, and they should move up in front of me," Arenado said about the lineup change. "It was really nothing more than that. I don't think it's pressure. It's just performance."
The guys Arenado is referring to are Willson Contreras and Iván Herrera. Contreras, who is slashing .315/.397/.556 with three homers in his last 15 games, will now assume the role of cleanup hitter. Herrera will move up to the the five-spot, while Arenado will drop to sixth.
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Herrera hasn't missed a beat since returning from the IL. He's slashing an incredible .500/.571/.750 in his last seven games.
The Cardinals' offense will look to get things going again after scoring just one run in each of the final two games against the Royals. The Cardinals begin a three-game series with the Tigers tonight in St. Louis.
Related: Cardinals Lead MLB in Ever Important Category
Related: Cardinals vs Tigers: How to Watch and What to Watch for
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