As the Cardinals near the 40-game mark of their season, no teammate has appeared in more games (37) or handled more innings at his position (337 1/3) than DeJong. The result has been a second-year shortstop who has improved significantly in the field because of the reps all that playing time has offered and the instincts they’ve sharpened. On Sunday, DeJong positioned himself up the middle three times, and was there waiting for a ground ball that otherwise would have been a single.
While other spots in the infield have been rotated based on matchups, hot streaks and injuries.