Wily Mo Pena, he with the remarkable .190/.190/.548 line this year, is getting his first start in left field for the Diamondbacks on Sunday.
Manager Kirk Gibson recently said he had no plans to play Pena in the outfield, but something changed his mind. Pena had appeared in 16 games since his callup June 21, but all nine of his starts came at DH. Since interleague play ended a week ago, he’s gone 1-for-4 off the bench, which his lone hit leaving the ballpark.
For the season, Pena is 8-for-42 with five homers, no walks and 18 strikeouts. Hence, the slugging percentage that’s nearly three times his batting average.
Pena played 25 games in left field for Triple-A Reno this season and committed just one error. Still, he was always an awkward-at-best outfielder in his youth, and injuries have robbed him of some mobility since his days with the Reds and Red Sox.