25 Dexter Fowler RF

Fowler reached base five times, going 1-for-1 with four walks and a steal in Sunday's win over the Reds.

Though the one-hit day didn't do much for his average, which still sits below the Mendoza Line, it was a boon to his OBP and provided the opportunity for his second steal of the year. After getting bumped out of the leadoff spot before Saturday's game, Fowler has responded with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored in the two contests since, so the shakeup may be just what he needed to break out of the early season slump.

Fowler went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a win over the Reds on Saturday.

Fowler slid out of the leadoff spot for the first time all season Saturday, and he may have reaped the benefits of having Paul DeJong hitting directly behind him. Ultimately, both he and DeJong went deep back-to-back in the sixth, with Fowler's round tripper serving as his second in the last five games. The blast also snapped the 0-for-12 slump that had encompassed the outfielder's previous three games, although his average still remains an unsightly .181.

Fowler moved down to fifth in the order against the Reds on Saturday.

During all 16 of Fowler's starts this season, the outfielder has hit atop the order for the Cardinals, but manager Mike Matheny will look to switch things up in order to get some of his batters back on track. Matt Carpenter, who is hitting just .177 through 18 games, will man the leadoff spot while Fowler hits behind cleanup hitter Jose Martinez.

Fowler is not in the starting lineup Friday against the Reds.

Fowler is off to a very slow start, hitting just .176/.269/.294 through 78 plate appearances, though his .204 BABIP indicates that he's getting hurt by some bad luck. Harrison Bader will start in his place in right field Friday.

Fowler is out of the lineup against the Reds on Saturday, Joe Trezza of MLB.com reports.

Fowler will receive a day off after going 4-for-10 with one home run, two RBI and four runs scored over the first two games of this series. In his place, Harrison Bader gets the nod in right while batting sixth in the order.