Some notes about tonight's game and beyond:
According to Jason Beck, Marcus Thames is going to be the regular left fielder for a while. I'm not sure if he's going to bat third against right-handers as well as left-handers but he got a homer the first time up against lefty starter Joe Saunders tonight. The next time up, he just missed another when he hit a deep fly to left. As I type this, Thames is batting .254/.315/.462 with 4 home runs in 65 at bats. He replaces Matt Joyce who was batting .212/.276/.519 with 5 homers in 52 at bats. Joyce had gone 0 for 9 with 6 strike outs in his last 2 games.
Jim Leyland also announced that Curtis Granderson is going to bat against most lefties from now on. This is a good move because they need his glove in center and he isn't going to learn to hit lefties if he doesn't face them. He is one for two with a great diving catch so far tonight.
Carlos Guillen is sitting tonight and tomorrow to deal with his hemorrhoid problem. Brandon Inge is playing third. I think he should stay at third with Guillen at DH but I don't think that's the plan.
I don't know about Thames in left. He's underrated defensively, but really has never hit righties well enough to be an everyday guy out there. He's best as a platoon player.
ReplyDeleteI agree with that but they don't have a good platoon partner right now so I don't mind the move. Joyce has been awful the past few games. I don't think there is any danger of Thames staying there a long time if he doesn't hit. Leyland has never had the same patience with Thames as he had with Monroe.
ReplyDeleteAnd I know you'd like to see Raburn get a chance at a full time job and I would too but I've kind of accepted the idea that Leyland doesn't want to give him one.
ReplyDeleteI would love to see Inge at 3B every game and Guillen at DH. It almost makes too much sense. We'll see if they go in that direction.
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