MESA, Ariz. (670 The Score) -- After often being the odd man out late in the 2018 season, the Cubs' Albert Almora Jr. is fighting is facing an uphill battle for increased playing time as spring training has opened.
Almora, 24, has worked to reshape his body and redefine his game this offseason after he was primarily a defensive replacement in the final two months last year.
"I kind of had that fire this offseason," Almora said. "I worked out twice a day. I was doing a lot of hitting by the end of October. I am fueled and ready to go."
Manager Joe Maddon is again on a track to use Kyle Schwarber, Ian Happ and Jason Heyward in the outfield against most right-handed starters, which makes Almora's quest to win a regular job an uphill battle. And in a National League Central that doesn't have many left-handed starters, finding at-bats for the righty-swinging Almora will be a challenge.
"We will be looking at matchups," Maddon said. "When you don't play a guy, it's not that we don't like you. Part of it is developmental and part matchups. From our point, some of it is about putting you in a situation to look better."
Almora's production dipped drastically in the second half of 2018. He posted a .795 OPS in 298 plate appearances in the first half and then a .546 OPS in only 181 plate appearances after the All-Star break.
He made some adjustments in an effort to not let that reality repeat itself.
"It is about the mindset and how you evolve with the game," Almora said. "This offseason, I really got in tune with my body. One of the biggest things this offseason was stretching. I believe it will help my approach. I will play at 186 pounds, and that is down from 200 pounds last year. My body fat went from 16 percent to 11. That was from a lot of hard work and a lot of eating the right foods. I use to feel strong at 200 pounds, but that was more upper body. Now I feel like a great machine working at a higher level."
Almora believes he's a half-step faster now, which should also help him defensively. In his mind, he's an everyday player despite being utilized in a platoon in his first two MLB seasons.
"I am just going to go out there and perform," Almora said. "I will put my head down and run through walls. I will do whatever I can to help the team. My goal is really to help the team day in and day out. Whatever my role is, I will embrace that."
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
