Reds' Elly De La Cruz: In line to bat second?
Reds manager David Bell indicated Sunday that De La Cruz will most likely bat second to begin the season, Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports.
Bell noted that De La Cruz's position in the lineup is the spot he's thought about the most, and the young shortstop has hit second for much of spring training. De La Cruz mostly hit in the top half of the Reds' batting order while he was up last season, although he slid down toward the bottom some in September as his struggles mounted. The switch hitter sported just a .495 OPS with a 40.2 percent strikeout rate against left-handers last season, so it wouldn't be a surprise if he winds up hitting lower versus southpaws. Bell said that Sunday's lineup against the Guardians "could be pretty close" to the one he uses in the regular season, although worth noting is that regulars TJ Friedl and Spencer Steer both had the day off.
