Derek Shelton warned the Pittsburgh Pirates changes were coming, giving players new opportunities over the final 50 games of the season.

That explains why Hoy Park is getting a long look at the leadoff spot and making his first start at second base, and Anthony Alford was batting cleanup Tuesday against the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park.

The warning, however, came with a caveat: Bryan Reynolds is locked in at the No. 3 hole in the batting order. The center fielder is slashing .308/.391/.531 with 19 home runs and 65 RBIs — all team highs — so Shelton isn’t doing anything to disrupt his rhythm at the plate.

“One of the things I’ve told our offensive players is, ‘Do not worry about where you hit in the lineup. Do not change who you are. That day is where we thought we had the best matchup,’ ” Shelton said. “So don’t worry if you’re hitting first. Don’t worry if you’re hitting second. Don’t worry if you’re hitting third.

“I think the one thing I actually did tell them is the one thing I probably won’t change is where the guy that’s third hits. Other than that, everybody else is pretty flexible. … Just play your game, and don’t worry where you hit in the lineup.”

Shelton cited third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes as an example. Hayes has batted second in 51 games but hit third at Milwaukee on Aug. 3 and fourth at Cincinnati on Aug. 5, when Reynolds and Colin Moran, respectively, had days off. Since the trade deadline, shortstop Kevin Newman has batted leadoff and second after hitting mostly seventh and eighth this season. Catcher Jacob Stallings has batted fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth over the past dozen games.

Reynolds, however, has batted third in 98 games. He hit second seven times, all between May 2-11 while Hayes was on the injured list.

“There’s a couple different reasons we put him there,” Shelton said. “Key was there earlier. The fact that (Reynolds is) locked in there and swinging the bat well, we’re just going to keep him there for now. Plus, I like the switch hitter there.”

No incentive

John Nogowski got the starting nod at first base against the Cardinals, his former team before being designated for assignment in late June and traded to the Pirates for cash considerations July 5.

Shelton said it was a decision based on a matchup, preferring to have the right-handed Nogowski bat against Cardinals left-hander J.A. Happ instead of lefty-hitting Moran. Nogowski is hitting .286 against lefties this season, Moran only .171.

“No, it wasn’t part of the incentive at all,” Shelton said. “It was just getting the right-hander in there against the left-hander. (If) the incentive behind that works, then I will definitely take it.”

Nogowski collected 14 hits in his first seven games with the Pirates, batting .438 with a 1.074 OPS in his first 12 games, but he is hitting .127 in the 17 games since. Shelton said Nogowski hasn’t varied his approach.

“Early on, he really hit the ball hard,” Shelton said. “I think right now he’s working off the ball a little bit, and that’s causing him not to hit the ball as hard.”

Roster moves

Pirates outfielder Ka’ai Tom, on the injured list since July 3 with a lower back strain, was sent to Triple-A Indianapolis for a rehabilitation assignment.

Infielder Erik Gonzalez cleared waivers and was optioned to Indianapolis. Gonzalez was on the IL since July 2 with a right oblique strain but was reinstated and designated for assignment Aug. 7.

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