Matt Holliday took a 94 MPH fastball from Mike Montgomery to his right hand and exited the game. The pitch broke Holliday’s thumb, and he was placed on the 15-Day DL. The injury forced Matheny to reconsider his lineup, and more specifically, his use of All-Star infielder Matt Carpenter.
Carpenter has been the leadoff hitter in St. Louis for the last handful of years, where he has developed into a household name. Despite an unconventional approach for a leadoff guy, he’s evolved into one of the most dangerous leadoff hitters in all of baseball.