According to Andy Martino of the NY Daily News, Ruben Tejada will likely get the majority of starts at shortstop during the playoffs. Tejada has made a very strong case for himself of late as he’s been on fire during the month of September.
“Tejada is on track to see the majority of the playing time at short, and Flores will likely be a pinch-hitter and reserve. Flores — who left Wednesday’s game early with back spasms and has not improved — has batted .227 over his past eight games, while Tejada just wrapped a stellar September, batting .340 with a .411 on-base percentage in the month.”
Martino says Tejada’s defense is what gives him the edge, especially since Flores isn’t playing at 100% and is still dealing with a stiff back.
“With Tejada’s defense vastly superior to Flores, he becomes the most appealing option. It’s an amazing turn of a events for a player once so deeply on the outs here (remember when Sandy Alderson said it was like “pulling teeth” to get Tejada to do extra work?), but he has hung around long enough to restore his reputation and usefulness.”
It really has been a remarkable turnaround for Tejada, who is quietly enjoying a solid bounce back season. He’s batting .266 with 23 doubles in 113 games while maintaining an on base percentage percentage north of .340.
It’s about time that the perception surrounding Tejada starts to change. He isn’t the same player that he has been looked down upon a few seasons ago as his improved numbers and work ethic clearly show.
While he still isn’t the most exciting of players, he’s certainly gotten the job done this year and is deserving a bigger role in the playoffs.
