Is this Phillies lineup a preview of opening day?
CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Phillies have two more Grapefruit League games to play here. Manager Pete Mackanin will use them as simulations for the regular season; he wants his players to have a groove before Monday's opener against the Reds in Cincinnati.
So, it appears he has decided on his first lineup, with a preview in Thursday's game against the New York Yankees at Spectrum Field:
1. Cesar Hernandez 2B
2. Howie Kendrick LF
3. Odubel Herrera CF
4. Maikel Franco 3B
5. Michael Saunders RF
6. Tommy Joseph 1B
7. Cameron Rupp C
8. Freddy Galvis SS
9. Jerad Eickhoff P
Replace Eickhoff with Jeremy Hellickson, the opening-day starter, and that looks like the go-to lineup for the Phillies at the beginning of the 2017 season.
It's quite different from the first lineup the Phillies used in 2016. That one included Ryan Howard batting cleanup and Carlos Ruiz fifth. Cedric Hunter batted sixth and Peter Bourjos was seventh.
Just a little different.