The Cleveland Indians have grown accustomed to Francisco Lindor hitting in the leadoff spot for them, but that will probably be changing soon.
Speaking with the media on Sunday, Indians manager Terry Francona said that Lindor will “likely” hit third in the batting order, per Zack Meisel of The Athletic. Francona added that Cesar Hernandez may hit leadoff instead.
Lindor, the four-time All-Star shortstop, has been Cleveland’s leadoff hitter for the last two seasons. In the early part of his career though, Lindor mainly toggled between the No. 2 and No. 3 spots in the order, so he does already have some experience batting out of that range.
The 26-year-old has also developed a good blend of average and power, hitting .284 last season with 32 home runs and an .854 OPS. That could explain the comfort level of the Indians, who could be seeing a lot of change this season, in shaking up Lindor’s spot in the order.
