Astros manager Dusty Baker said Michael Brantley will bat second in the lineup if he's...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Jeremy Peña’s star turn started in the two-hole. Manager Dusty Baker moved him there late last season out of necessity, after a season-ending shoulder surgery took Michael Brantley out of the spot he’s so perfect to occupy.
Peña slashed .345/.367/.638 during Houston’s playoff run and struck nine extra-base hits. Baker’s decision to bat him second during the regular season coincided with a batting stance adjustment that turned Peña’s season around. He hit .290 and slugged .522 in 219 regular-season plate appearances out of the two-hole — and still won’t return there any time soon.
“If Brantley is in the lineup, Brantley is No. 2,” Baker said on Sunday. “I know Peña’s been good, but he ain’t been good as long as Brantley.”
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