The growing buzz surrounding Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter this spring reached another level Friday as he was slotted as the leadoff hitter during the team's Grapefruit League game against Houston. Carpenter is considered the leading candidate to serve as the starting second baseman on opening day after entering play Friday with a .396 batting average and seven doubles.
Cardinals manager Mike Matheny cited Carpenter's strong ability to reach base as an impetus for putting him atop the lineup -- he ranks third in the Grapefruit League with a sterling .491 on-base percentage.
"I think that is something that could potentially crop up during the season with Matt's ability to get on base," Matheny told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "We're never going to ignore that at the top of our lineup."