Could slot in at five-hole Walker batted fifth in one of the final Cactus League games before MLB was suspended, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. Impact The lineup manager Torey Lovullo fielded Mar. 9 against the Royals looked like an Opening Day batting order. That lineup had the right-handed hitting Walker fifth behind lefty David Peralta and ahead of lefty Kole Calhoun. Lovullo may tweak the order so that he can alternate right-handed and left-handed batters, but Walker should be comfortable in the five hole. That's where he had his most plate appearances in 2019, when Walker took command of the first base job and swatted 29 home runs. The man he replaced at first base, Jake Lamb, had a good spring, but the job belongs to Walker right now and will be his whenever MLB opens its doors for the regular season.
MARCH 20, 2020 • ROTOWIRE