Cincinnati Reds Debut New-Look Lineup

According to a tweet by beat writer John Fay, the Cincinnati Reds will debut a new-look lineup tonight against the St. Louis Cardinals in hopes of breaking out of their early-season offensive slump.

Tonight's batting order, which looks notably different from the Reds' traditional lineup, reads as follows:

1) Zack Cozart, SS

2) Drew Stubbs, CF

3) Joey Votto, 1B

4) Brandon Phillips, 2B

5) Jay Bruce, RF

6) Scott Rolen, 3B

7) Chris Heisey, LF

8) Devin Mesoraco, C

9) Mat Latos, P

While making such a significant overnight change may seem drastic, the struggling Reds are in desperate need of a spark after averaging just around three runs per contest through their first 11 games.

With hot-hitting rookie Zack Cozart leading off, Drew Stubbs moved up to the two hole, Brandon Phillips batting cleanup and Scott Rolen shifted down to No. 6, it should be very interesting to see how the Cincinnati offense fares against St. Louis' Jaime Garcia this evening.

Pay close attention to both Stubbs and Phillips tonight, as their new roles in the order could result in significant improvement. Stubbs should see more hittable pitches, and Phillips will be able to better nurse his ailing hamstring now that his speed won't be a major concern batting cleanup.