Cesar Hernandez expects just one night out of the Phillies lineup
The second baseman has a groin pull.
Phillies manager Pete Mackanin held second baseman Cesar Hernandez out of the starting lineup Friday against the Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park more as a preventive measure than as a reaction to his slump.
"For about 10 days he has had a groin [problem], just a pull," Mackanin said before the game. "I don't want to lose him, and so I am just giving him a day to make sure it doesn't amount to something worse."
Asked how he feels, Hernandez said he had discomfort but nothing to keep him out for an extended time.
"It is tight," he said through a translator. "I plan to play" Saturday.
Even without the bothersome groin, Hernandez could probably use a day off. He entered the weekend hitting .289 with four home runs, 11 RBIs, and a .763 OPS while appearing in the first 45 games, with 44 starts. That has been a solid season, but it was much better before his skid.
On May 6, he was batting .339 with an .892 OPS. In the 16 games since, Hernandez batted .190 with one RBI and a .514 OPS.
"Today I am taking a little break and getting my mind-set right for the next game," Hernandez said.
Hernandez hit .294 in 2016. Since June 23 of last season, he has hit .313, which ranks sixth in the National League during that time.
Last June Mackanin persuaded Hernandez to change his approach at the plate, to have more of a level swing.
"He stayed on top of the ball, which helped him last year, hitting the ball on the ground," Mackanin said.
The manager elaborated.
"If you stay on top and get fooled by a breaking ball, you can still have a nice swing on the ball," Mackanin said. "He is showing he is getting back to there."
A switch-hitter, Hernandez has great speed, so hitting the ball on the ground is to his advantage. He entered Friday leading the National League with 15 infield hits and five bunt hits.
Hernandez is making a run at an all-star berth. He leads National League second basemen with 34 runs, is second with 77 total bases, and is tied for second with 54 hits and two triples.
He said he wasn't worried about his tailspin.
"I really think that is baseball. There are ups and downs," he said. "The important thing I want to do is be consistent."
Hernandez also said pitchers have shown him more respect since his torrid start this year.
"I had a good start. Pitchers made adjustments to face me, and now I have to make adjustments on them," he said. "That is baseball, making adjustments all the time."
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