ST. LOUIS -- The Cardinals' latest leadoff man is making the most of a regular spot in the lineup.
Peter Bourjos assumed his role at the top of the order and scored the tying run in Thursday's 2-1 win at Cleveland, shortly after St. Louis moved Jon Jay to the disabled list. Jay continues to struggle with wrist and thumb issues resulting from offseason surgery to his left wrist and has no clear timetable for a return.
That leaves the spot open for Bourjos, and he's made the most of his chances after starting the season as the team's fifth outfielder. Manager Mike Matheny already knew the speedy center fielder could excel defensively and on the basepaths, but he's left his biggest impression at the plate.
"Even looking at his outs, he's had some hard outs the other way, he's driving the ball," Matheny told reporters Thursday during the Cardinals Live postgame show on FOX Sports Midwest. "I think everybody had trouble (Wednesday) and you saw a lot of strikeouts, but overall, Peter's taking a much better approach and he's not trying to do too much."
A full recovery from a hip injury that hampered him much of last season could be another contributing factor to Bourjos' .313 average since May 2, even after getting no hits in six at-bats vs. Cleveland starters Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer. Kluber looked dominant against just about everyone during an 18-strikeout performance, but Matheny said Bourjos barely missed a home run when he flied out to left in his first at-bat against Bauer.
The right-hander paid for walking Bourjos in the eighth inning, allowing him to reach base for the eighth time in his last nine starts. He didn't need his elite speed on the basepaths this time, thanks to a game-winning, two-run home run by Matt Carpenter.
Center field appears to be Bourjos' spot to lose for now, particularly with Randal Grichuk still trying to recover from a strained lower back. With seven starts in the Cardinals' last eight games, Bourjos is on pace to reach 65 at-bats in a single month for the first time since April 2013 with the Los Angeles Angels.
The St. Louis lineup offers plenty of versatility, and Bourjos will be a top candidate for the leadoff spot heading into this weekend's home series against Detroit. It's easy to see why Matheny wants Carpenter's power in the No. 2 spot, leaving Wong and Bourjos as the only healthy players with experience at the top of the Cardinals' order.
Both bring an aggressive approach to the plate that Matheny has acknowledged may not be ideal for a leadoff man, but it's something he's willing to overlook when they're able to get on base. Bourjos enters the weekend ranked third on the team with a .364 on-base percentage, and he's even shown some power with three doubles and two triples.
"We don't want him getting too excited about trying to get big, but just trying to get on base," Matheny said. "He gets on base and good things seem to happen."
You can follow Luke Thompson on Twitter at @FS_LukeT or email him at lukegthompson87@gmail.com.
