Struggles continue for Reyes
Jose Reyes watched his batting average drop 10 points Sunday night. That is always bad news. When you are starting out with a .053 average, it is horrendous.
Reyes’ slow start to the season continued against the Marlins on Sunday. While some of his slowstarting teammates got going in the 5-2 win, Reyes went 0-for-4 and finished the night batting .043 (1-for-23).
“As a player, you want to start hot,” Reyes said before the game. “If it doesn’t happen, you do what you can to get out of it.” Right now, nothing is working. Reyes hit two long fly balls on Sunday night, but both were outs. He struck out in the fourth inning against Edinson Volquez and grounded out in the seventh, his final at-bat of the night. Reyes and Rene Rivera were the only hitless players in the Mets’ lineup.
The Mets are counting on Reyes as an everyday player to start the year. With David Wright sidelined, Reyes is their third baseman and leadoff hitter. The problem is, he’s not hitting. Mets manager Terry Collins believes Reyes might be pressing.
“I think he’s over-swinging right now,” Collins said before Sunday night’s game. “He’s always been an aggressive guy. He’s never been a big walk guy, but I think now he’s trying way too hard. I’ve seen him take probably the hardest swing I’ve ever seen him take. Normally [he] just hits the ball and runs. I talked to him yesterday and he said, ‘don’t worry, I’ll get it going.’ and I believe that. I know how he is and he’s still going to be a force.”
Reyes said he does not think he has been overeager at the plate.
“I’m not swinging the bat too good right now,” Reyes said. “I’m working to put it together. The more I play, the more comfortable I’m going to feel. I know I’m going to hit. It’s only five games into the season. I know what I’m capable of doing.”
One theory about the Mets’ early offensive struggles has been the cold temperatures have been affecting them after coming north from Florida’s sun in spring training.
“It’s tough to play in the cold weather,” Reyes said. “We know that, but you can’t make excuses. We’re not hitting [poorly] because of the weather. We’re not hitting because we’re not swinging the bats good so far.”