Time for a Royals lineup shakeup

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Batting fourth: José Guillen, RF.

When Guillen’s hot, he can carry the team. When he’s cold, he will frustrate you to tears. And he seems like one of those players who will never be in between hot and cold. On a good team he hits sixth in the lineup, but right now he’s the Royals’ only viable cleanup hitter.

Batting fifth: David DeJesus, LF.

I really would like to see this happen. I think DeJesus is miscast as a leadoff hitter. He’s not fast. He’s not especially patient, but he has gotten stronger — and I think if dropped in the lineup he could be a run producer. It’s just a hunch. But hey, when you’re scoring fewer than four runs a game, you can play a few hunches.

Batting sixth: Billy Butler, DH.

In time, Billy will move up to the No. 5 spot, maybe the No. 4 spot. But it will take time. Right now, he looks like a 22-year-old kid who blew through the minor leagues and is getting schooled in the big leagues. Pitchers have adjusted to him. They’re pounding him with inside fastballs, and he has not quite adjusted. He will. In the meantime, leave him in the sixth spot and let him figure things out.

Batting seventh: John Buck or Miguel Olivo, C.

Buck is hitting .500 this year with runners in scoring position, and Olivo is tied for the team lead with five home runs.

Batting eighth: Shortstop.

Tony Peña Jr. is a wonderful young guy. He’s a good fielder. He’s hitting .162. There aren’t many absolute truths in this game, but one of those might be: You cannot play a guy, no matter how wonderful, no matter how good defensively, who is hitting .162.

Now, it’s true, the Royals don’t have many options. They don’t have any good choices in the minor leagues. They have Alberto Callaspo, who shows signs of being a good hitter, and Esteban German, who has in the past shown signs of being a good hitter, but neither one is really a shortstop. It’s a dilemma.

But one this is clear — and Hillman has said this plainly — the Royals cannot play a shortstop hitting .162. Something has to give here.

Batting ninth: Joey Gathright, CF.

It is always a little bit jarring when Gathright plays because he is so fast — and this team is Merchant & Ivory slow. Wednesday, he reached base four times, stole a base, took another base on defensive indifference. The Royals lineup is so bland, and Gathright offers a different look and a unique threat. He should be out there every day.

And that’s it.

I’m guaranteeing that if Trey Hillman puts this lineup out there, the Royals will score a whole bunch of runs. Or, at least, they will score more runs than they have scored in any game this series. Or, at the very least, they won’t get no-hit.

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