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Originally Posted by Jewish Rabbi
Be interesting to see what happens when Bader comes back. He hasn't produced for shit this year. Almost impossible to take Jose or Ozuna out of the lineup right now, and Fowler has been producing.
Who loses the ABs?
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its already decided. From Saxon on the athletic
No matter how many multiple-hit games Martínez has been able to produce of late, he once again is headed for the bench, with Bader and his .179 batting average nudging him out. And though Fowler has expressed a preference for center field, he will be sliding back to right when Bader comes off the 10-day injured list.
To understand why the Cardinals would risk disrupting their hot offense, consider that they have been trying to fix their defense for the past four seasons. Bader wields their most valuable glove. Starting Bader over Fowler or Martínez will be the first major test this season of the team’s commitment to a defensive initiative that began last season under previous manager Mike Matheny.
“This is a guy who plays elite defense,” manager Mike Shildt said, “so we can’t forget that side of the ball.”