Cleveland Indians: Bradley Zimmer gets his chance in the leadoff spot

Cleveland Indians rookie Bradley Zimmer has moved into the leadoff spot for Wednesday’s game, making him the latest project at the spot.

The Cleveland Indians have great hitters in the lineup, but not at every spot. And the top spot in the order has especially been a problem all year. Enter Bradley Zimmer.

Carlos Santana, Francisco Lindor and Jason Kipnis have all been featured in the leadoff spot this year, but those three have been struggling on offense all year.

The real threat in the lineup comes in spots 3-6, with Michael Brantley, Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Ramirez and Lonnie Chisenhall doing most of the damage to opposing teams as of late.

But it is hard to get those guys going if nothing can get started at the top of the lineup, which is why a new face has moved into the leadoff spot for today’s game.

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The moves comes after Jason Kipnis was scratched from the lineup, but shaking up the top of the order is a welcome move after Tuesday’s 1-0 loss.

Zimmer is currently slashing .279/.345/.434, which is much better than Kipnis’ marks of .225/.280/.385. Even drawing a walk would be nice, and a .280 on-base percentage shows that it has been a difficult task for Kipnis to reach base this year. Can’t have your leadoff hitter owning some of the worst offensive marks on the team.

Zimmer has benefitted by receiving a full-time job in center field, and has proven to be an asset on both offense and defense. His speed makes him a weapon when he reaches base, while it also allows him to make center field turn into “Zimmer Island” on a daily basis.

At this point, the Indians just need some sort of spark at the top of the order. Kipnis never fit in that top spot, but he also isn’t a great candidate for the job. He just got stuck there by default.

With Zimmer now in the top spot, everyone should benefit if he can get on base to start games. He can open things up for Lindor, and give Brantley and the others behind him some early runners in scoring position.

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One game is too early to make a firm judgment, but a good showing from Zimmer the next few days could mean the Indians found their leadoff hitter of the future.