The Cincinnati Reds pulled off a last-minute deal with the Athletics for Miguel Andujar at the July 31 trade deadline, and the slugger has been one of the team’s hottest hitters since his arrival. Andujar’s presence in the lineup was critical over the weekend, helping the Reds to split the series against the Pittsburgh Pirates and pull within 1½ games of the final NL Wild Card spot.
Andujar was supposed to thrive against left-handed pitching, but has shown over the past week that he can handle the stick against righties too. With the team starved for some thump in the middle of the lineup, it’s going to be nearly impossible for manager Terry Francona to put Andujar on the bench.
Conversely, Matt McLain has been in a rut of late. Though many Reds fans will point to McLain’s .299 batting average and .363 on-base percentage since the All-Star break, his power just isn’t there. During those 85 plate appearances, only three of his 23 hits have gone for extra bases.
Miguel Andujar’s hot streak could force the Reds to platoon Matt McLain & Gavin Lux
On the other hand, Gavin Lux has three extra-base hit in just his last 33 plate appearances and has 10 hits in his last 10 games. He’s hitting .313/.333/.406 during that stretch and curiously got a start at second base during Sunday’s series finale at PNC Park.
Though McLain is well-regarded as an above-average defender, and replaced Lux during the latter-part of Sunday’s game, his miscue during the eighth inning nearly cost the Reds the game. McLain airmailed a throw over the head of shortstop Elly De La Cruz and allowed the Pirates to plate two runs — pulling Pittsburgh to within one run of the Reds heading into the ninth inning.
After acquiring Andujar at the trade deadline, the assumption was he would play opposite Lux as the Reds’ designated hitter. However, after showing that he’s more than just a platoon bat, Francona may have to look at platooning Lux and McLain at second base instead.
Austin Hays is another player who’s been struggling to produce of late, and Lux has been deployed into the Reds’ outfield on occasion. Jake Fraley, however, is a left-handed hitter and an above-average defender in left. If Francona were to play any type of platoon situation in the outfield, it would likely feature Hays and Fraley.
Francona has a good problem on his hands, and at this stage of season, and loyalties will be thrown out the window in favor of wins. The Reds cannot afford to put McLain (or Hays) in the lineup if they’re not producing, and that could mean a heavier reliance on both Andujar and Lux moving forward.
