ST. LOUIS — With just 10 games left before the 2019 all-star break, the Cardinals need some kind of spark to hit the break on a high note.
A dynamite April followed by a disastrous May followed by a mediocre June has everyone antsy, just waiting for this team to rise to expectations.
Now, with key lineup staples struggling, why not give Tommy Edman a shot?
Edman is the flavor of the month of Cardinals players fans want in the lineup.
In just 15 at-bats, Edman is hitting .400 with a home run. He has also been able to show off his speed with two stolen bases and a triple.
Edman's impressive small sample size isn't the main reason he might deserve a shot at getting a few starts, though. Major slumps from key lineup contributors might force the Cardinals' hand.
Matt Carpenter is hitting .225/.323/.413 over the last 28 days. Kolten Wong and Harrison Bader are still providing outstanding defense for the team, but have scuffled offensively. Bader is hitting an ugly .145 over the last 28 days.
So why not Tommy Edman?
He's shown his speed has the ability to change games, he can play a bunch of different positions and the current guys just aren't contributing enough.
Obviously with the money committed to Carpenter, Edman won't supplant him as the go-to starter, no matter how bad it gets.
But there's no reason not to give a guy who's proved in small doses he can hack it in the big leagues a bigger role on a currently mediocre team.
He'll get that shot for Game 2 against Oakland on Wednesday night. He's leading off and playing third base.
Edman said he thinks his style of play lends itself well to leading off, which he's used to doing at other levels in the organization.
"I think being able to get on base and cause some trouble on the basepaths suits me well to be the guy to start off the game," Edman said.