One of Reds' biggest bats will be neutralized for pivotal Phillies series

The Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies kick off a pivotal series on Monday evening at Great American Ball Park. The Reds trail the New York Mets by just 1½ games in the NL Wild Card race, but one of their best hitters will be neutralized during the upcoming series.

Gavin Lux has been swinging a hot bat of late, but it's highly unlikely that he'll be in the Reds starting lineup on Tuesday and Wednesday. Why? Because the Phillies will send left-handers Ranger Suarez and Christopher Sanchez to bump for Games 2 and 3 of the three-game set.

Lux has been a fixture in the Reds lineup throughout the season, and was even bumped up to No. 2 in the batting order on Sunday with Matt McLain receiving a day off. Unfortunately, Lux's performance against left-handers this season has been underwhelming to say the least, and it's unlikely Reds fans will see him step into the batters while those two Phillies' starters are on the mound.

Reds' DH Gavin Lux will be neutralized for pivotal Phillies series

Struggling against lefties is nothing new for Lux. For his career, the 27-year-old owns a rather pathetic .197/.278/.261 slash line with a 55 wRC+ against southpaws. This season, those numbers are even more pronounced with Lux hitting a paltry .170/.278/.191 with a 36 wRC+ against lefties. Lux will be unplayable on Tuesday and Wednesday with Suarez and Sanchez toeing the rubber.

Thankfully, the Reds added Miguel Andujar at the MLB trade deadline, and the former Athletics' slugger has a tried and true track record against left-handed pitching. For his career, Andjuar has posted a .292/.330/.465 slash line against left-handed pitching. This season, the 30-year-old has crushed lefties to the tune of .417/.451/.583 with a 186 wRC+. While sitting Lux isn't ideal, having Andujar to back him up gives Francona options.

Lux's impending absence, however, will shine a spotlight on Austin Hays. A free agent pickup this past offseason, Hays' bat has cooled since his return from the IL. Since June 27. Hays is hitting just .214/.288/.351 with a 75 wRC+. Once the calendar flipped to August, his performance has been even worse (.080/.115/.120).

With Lux likely out of the lineup on Tuesday and Wednesday, the combination of Hays and Andujar will have to provide some pop in the middle of the Reds lineup. The Reds have been one of the worst teams against left-handers, hitting just .220/.297/.346 this season. That will have to change this week, or Cincinnati will risk falling further behind New York in the Wild Card standings.

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