(670 The Score) After being the talk of baseball for the first month of the season, White Sox rookie designated hitter Yermin Mercedes is fighting to regain his magic of April.
Mercedes is mired in a slump in which he has gone 2-of-34 in his past 10 games. That stretch began in late May, but he already had encountered a few struggles. Mercedes hit .221 with a .619 OPS in May after he batted .415 with a 1.113 OPS in April.
Mercedes, 28, has been working diligently with hitting coach Frank Menechino and putting in extra time to regain his form.
“The highlight for me is that even when our guys are not hitting, they don't get down,” Menechino said of Mercedes and others. "The work is being put in, and the dugout is alive no matter who is hitting. That is all I can ask for.”
A big trouble for Mercedes is his chase rate, which is nearly 42% and among the worst mark in MLB, according to Baseball Savant. His aggressiveness that was once a strength is now being used against him.
“Hey, it's really hard to hit .400,” manager Tony La Russa said while pointing out Mercedes was still hitting .304 entering play Thursday night. “Typically hitters have something that gets in the way of any streak. Their wrist gets sore or fatigue sets in. They get into a habit. That is why coaching is so important, and our guys are the best.”
La Russa had a few theories of his own on how to help Mercedes get out of his slump.
“When I get a call from coaches or managers in youth baseball about someone not hitting, I tell that person to take a picture of where the player's head is at when he swings,” La Russa said. "If the kid's head is down looking at the ball, just keep it there. He will make contact that way. The most common thing is when guys are not doing well, their head is moving off of the ball. Those are one of the basics that he and Frankie are working on. On the last day in Cleveland, he was rifling shots in BP.”
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.