Kansas City, Mo. ? With six Kansas City Royals regulars hitting .224 or lower, manager Tony Muser decided Saturday it was time to shake up the batting order.

Kansas City’s game against the Boston Red Sox was rained out Saturday night and rescheduled as part of a doubleheader at 1:05 p.m. today. Before the washout, Muser posted a lineup with significant changes.

A tarp covers the infield at Kauffman Stadium. Rain and the threat of lightning forced the postponement of the Royals' game Saturday against Boston. It will be made up as part of a doubleheader today.

Neifi Perez was dropped from second to seventh in the batting order, Michael Tucker was moved up from fifth to second and Raul Ibanez was pushed up from seventh to fifth.

Muser said he would go with this batting order for at least a few games against right-handed starters in hopes it would pump some life into an offense hitting only .233, 12th among the 14 AL teams.

“We’re trying to switch things up to see what it does for us,” Muser said. “We’re not drawing names out of a hat; we’re using common sense.”

Muser thinks Tucker, who is hitting only .167 and has struck out 13 times in 36 at-bats, will see more fastballs hitting behind Chuck Knoblauch at the top of the order. Ibanez, hitting .294, will hit behind Mike Sweeney in the revamped lineup.

Perez has a five-game hitting streak but only a .220 average.

“Neifi is a better hitter than he’s showing,” Muser said.

The Royals have scored only one run in their past 19 innings and have been shut out an American League high three times in their first 14 games.

“I think we’ve done a good job of competing without swinging the bat like we’re capable,” Muser said.

The Royals have been rained out twice in the past week.

“I hate rainouts,” Muser said, “but the silver lining is it would help Joe (Randa) and Knoblauch.”