Padres @ Dodgers July 12, 2014: Maybe You’re In Center Field Next

Hey, Andre Ethier is back in center field tonight. I guess that must mean that Don Mattingly has changed his min–

*looks up Ethier’s career line against Ian Kennedy*

*finds .313/.353/.563 in 34 plate appearances*

*oh.*

You know I don’t believe in pitcher-vs-hitter stats at all, for a variety of reasons — Ethier, and Kennedy too, for that matter, are both very different players from when they first met in 2010 — but you can’t ditch Ether on the bench forever, so if you’re going to start him, that matchup seems as good a time as any.

Apparently, however, you can bench Carl Crawford forever, since he isn’t in the lineup again. Mattingly promised he’d get one start before the break, so that leaves tomorrow against Tyson Ross, which is fine, but… oh, lovely:

The center-field auditions continue. Next up is Carl Crawford, who hasn’t played the position on a consistent basis since he was 22 years old in 2004, but has begun taking fly balls there.

“[Crawford] played it in the minor leagues,” Mattingly said. “In our situation, there’s nothing wrong with him going out and taking fly balls. You never know what could happen.”

If that’s not a clear enough sign that Mattingly is done with Ethier in center field, I don’t know what is. If you have this many options to play the position,  you really have none. Of course, we should know by now not to believe much of anything that management says publicly. It’s hard to believe this situation goes on as is indefinitely.

But, if you’re sick of hearing about it and would rather focus on something else, you’re in luck: Paul Maholm is on the mound. With the historically awful Padres awful opposing him, it’s the extremely movable object against the completely resistable force. [table id=5 /]