Heyward is getting the job done in the cleanup spot

Jason Heyward is finally in the position most thought he would be all along when he joined the St. Louis Cardinals -- cleanup hitter.

The outfielder has fielded the No. 4 spot in the lineup in his last 14 starts, and although he hasn't yet provided a power stick in terms of home runs, he's driving in runs -- he had a two-run single in the first inning Tuesday to start the Cards off in a 9-1 win over Arizona -- and keeping his batting average up.

Remarkably, Heyward, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, has hit in spots 1 through 8 in the lineup this season, including 12 times in the eight-hole. His most productive spots has been at No. 5, but he says he doesn't care where manager Mike Matheny pencils him in.

"It really doesn’t matter,” Heyward told the Post-Dispatch. “I just try to be somewhere to help, and I’m glad to be able to do that.”

Will Heyward, who has hit .300 in each of the last three months, stay in the cleanup spot when the Cardinals return injured players?

"Everybody has different ideas of what each position in the lineup should look like but, for me, it’s consistent at-bats and getting the big hit and driving in a run and Jason’s done a nice job in all of the above,” Matheny said. "The home runs are going to come, but he's got a good approach going."

(h/t St. Louis Post-Dispatch)