Melky takes a seat

Just had a chance to look at the lineup for the first time tonight, and there was a glaring omission. Melky Cabrera is absent from his usual center field spot, with one of the heroes from yesterday, Justin Christian, getting the starting nod in his place.

Frankly, it's about time. Cabrera's OBP went under .300 after yesterday's game for the first time this season and his OPS is a staggeringly terrible .638. Let's put it this way: Darrell Rasner has a higher OPS than Cabrera does.

What happened to the Cabrera who hit five home runs and drove in 12 runs in April? He looked like he was headed for his best offensive season yet. Instead, he's headed for his worst.

He will turn 24 in a week, but he has been around for three full seasons already. When will the "he's young" excuse not be enough anymore?

It's a shame Brett Gardner couldn't hit when he was up here. He'd fit like a glove.