The Cincinnati Reds pulled off a last-minute deal with the Athletics for Miguel Andujar at the July 31 trade deadline, and the slugger has been one of the team's hottest hitters since his arrival. Andujar's presence in the lineup was critical over the weekend, helping the Reds to split the series against the Pittsburgh Pirates and pull within 1½ games of the final NL Wild Card spot.
Andujar was supposed to thrive against left-handed pitching, but has shown over the past week that he can handle the stick against righties too. With the team starved for some thump in the middle of the lineup, it's going to be nearly impossible for manager Terry Francona to put Andujar on the bench.