Cardinals manager Mike Matheny had been adamant about never having a position player bat ninth in a National League game because he had been that player.
But, with the new-look top two of Matt Carpenter and Dexter Fowler, the home run leaders on the club, would it make sense to have a position player bat ninth ahead of them, as happened in interleague play in Baltimore, so those two would have more opportunity to drive in runs after the first time through the lineup? A veteran player might not take too kindly to hitting ninth but, in rookie Paul DeJong’s case, he already has hit ninth in Baltimore.