Jason Heyward is hitting out of the second spot in the lineup to open spring training for the Cardinals Thursday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Heyward is hitting out of the second spot in the lineup to open spring training for the Cardinals Thursday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold reports.

Analysis:

Not much of a surprise here, as Matheny's indicated early and often that he prefer Heywards in the two-hold. There are several variables at play this spring that could change that, though, including the performances of Kolten Wong and Jon Jay. If Heyward doesn't hit in the second spot, he'll likely be in the middle of the lineup, but it's possible he could hit further down in the lineup when the Cards face southpaws.