We talked about this on the podcast Sunday, but considering the question is being talked about on Twitter this morning, it felt like an appropriate addition. Usually, we'll use this section for an email discussion with the TCB staff (much like we did last Friday), but today, let's talk about lineups.
Since Opening Day, Bo Porter has switched his lineup around nearly every day. Guys are batting at different spots in the lineup, starting at different positions and generally not getting into a groove of playing time. That explained the offensive struggles during the three-game losing streak and meant that Porter is criminally underusing L.J. Hoes.
Part of that was because of injuries. Porter certainly didn't want to lose Dexter Fowler and Jason Castro for extended games this early in the season. Fowler is still working his way back from a pretty serious stomach virus while Castro returned to the lineup and immediately sparked a turnaround.
So, my question submitted for your discussion is this: Does Porter change his lineup too frequently? Should he tone it down and let some of his starters get into a rhythm, both in the field and at the plate? Or, is the net gain from maximizing things like platoon advantages and lineup sequencing not important enough to get worked up over?
More importantly, who should be starting regularly and who do you not mind seeing platooned?