Greg Allen did not have the best of starts for the 2019 season but is returning to form and has been quite productive as of late.
There was some hope that Greg Allen would continue his hot run at the end of last season. A run that saw Allen slash .313/.380/.406/.787 with seven doubles, one triple, one home run with 15 RBI’s and 15 stolen bases over the final 47 games of the season. Unfortunately Allen was not able to build upon last season and struggled. Cleveland sent Allen down to Triple-A Columbus. Allen has since returned and is tearing the cover off the ball.
In six games since returning Greg Allen is slashing .500/.563/.929 with an OPS of 1.491. This includes one double, one triple and one home run. Allen has also driven in five runs and scoring five times himself. While these numbers are far from sustainable and is part of a very small sample size it is encouraging to see that he is hitting.
Greg Allen has only started four of the six games he has appeared in. This means he has come into two games late. Once as a pinch runner and the other time as pinch hitter. Allen would score back in Cincinnati on July 6th and drove in two runs Wednesday in the Indians 7-2 win over the Tigers.
Allen is not necessarily a regular outfield starter. Oscar Mercado is the everyday centerfielder and the group of Tyler Naquin, Jordan Luplow and Jake Bauers will see their fair share of time in the outfield, (although Bauers does DH and occasionally plays first base). Allen is still a better hitter against right handed pitching rather than left handed pitching. This leaves opportunities for Luplow to get the nod over Allen.
As long as Greg Allen is hitting it is hard to keep him from seeing at least semi-regular playing time. The Indians outfield just seems to more of a fluid situation for the most part rather than a group that is set in stone. There should be plenty of chances for Allen to produce for the Indians the rest of the season.
