Altherr’s rise, Herrera’s fall making Mackanin think in CF
PHILADELPHIA » Pete Mackanin has seen enough of Aaron Altherr to make a public assessment of him.
“I know that he’s a legitimate centerfielder,” Mackanin said Monday, prior to a game against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. “I like him there.”
So it’s a natural question that if Mackanin feels that strongly about Altherr playing in center, why he doesn’t show that inclination every time he makes out a lineup card?
The answer, of course, has more to do with the mystery that is Odubel Herrera than the possible answer that is Aaron Altherr.
Asked prior to Monday’s game if he planned to start slotting Herrera into one of the corner outfield positions, Mackanin surprised a bit by saying, “Not this year.”
It seemed like one more example of the manager’s growing distrust or perhaps confusion with Herrera, the former Rule 5 player who early in the season was winning rave reviews as he earned an All-Star selection. But in the second half, Herrera’s dropoff in performance has been blatant both at the plate and in the field.
While Mackanin has repeatedly expressed concern about that, he hasn’t committed to trying Herrera elsewhere. Not yet, anyway. “We’re going to encourage him to play a corner (outfield position) in winter ball and the spring,” Mackanin said of Herrera. “I just want to keep him confident for the rest of the season.”
While Herrera, 24, playing somewhere in Latin America over the winter isn’t a mandate, Mackanin said he’d like to see him “get at least 50-100 atbats (there) ... stay in shape and get some repetitions.
“I’m a big believer in it,” Mackanin added.
He said he’d also like to review why Herrera, “was better last year than he’s been this year in center.
“He’s made a lot of mistakes,” Mackanin said. “I think we’ve all seen that.”
Mackanin’s view might be impacted by Herrera’s offensive resume this season. He was hitting above .300 for most of May and June, not falling off that pace until shortly before the All-Star game. Herrera’s on-base percentage was at one time among the best in the National League, but it has fallen badly along with his batting average, which was .281 entering play Monday.
As for Altherr, who has seen time in center, he was back in the starting lineup — in right field — for this series-opening game against the divisionleading Nationals.
Now a full month into his 2016 season, after a wrist injury suffered in spring training blew out four months, Altherr has shown to have the makings of an everyday player. In Mackanin’s mind, Altherr is also making a case to be a long-term answer out there by the hedges.
He can tend to be a bit streaky at the plate, however. Altherr homered and had three hits in his season debut July 28, and was hitting .248 with a .711 OPS entering play against the Nats. But he seems to have a steadier fielding hand than Herrera.