Redmond gives Lucas tryout in No. 2 spot
KANSAS CITY -- First baseman Ed Lucas was penciled into the No. 2 slot in the Marlins' batting order Tuesday night as manager Mike Redmond continues to search for his best alternative in that role.
"We're looking for somebody to get on base in front of [Giancarlo] Stanton," Redmond said. "We've talked about Hech [Adeiny Hechavarria ] in there. But at the same time, Hechy is a free swinger. He's really aggressive and that's OK in that No. 2 hole. But in that spot, we need a little higher on-base guy. Lucas has done a nice job no matter where we put him in the lineup."
Heading into Tuesday's game, Lucas had a .306 on-base percentage vs. .273 for Hechavarria. Donovan Solano, who hit in the two-hole in the series opener on Monday, was at .304 in on-base percentage.
Lucas had a tough night, going 0-for-5 with three strikeouts in the Marlins' 1-0 win in 10 innings over the Royals.