Wade pinpoints approach for plate struggles
LaMonte Wade Jr. doesn’t have a flaw in his swing, and the San Francisco Giants’ outfielder doesn’t think his timing is off despite missing 61 games with a knee injury.
The problem, Wade said, is his approach — he’s trying to do too much, which is counterproductive at the plate.
“I’m trying to go up and get 10 hits in one at-bat, which is impossible,” Wade said. “I have to stick to the approach, just be strong mentally. Right now, I’m just trying to stay positive, not try to chase results and just embrace the process. I know that as bad as the struggles are right now, I’ll be the stronger for it when I come out of it.”
Wade is batting .145 since coming off the injured list June 29 and .172 overall with three homers in 34 games, but he refused to use missing most of the spring and the first half as an excuse, saying, “Injuries happen. I need to put that in the background.”
Manager Gabe Kapler said he thinks that Wade’s rhythm and timing are probably a little off, understandably, but he too believes the mental side is most important.
“I think it’s his confidence and swagger,” Kapler said. “When LaMonte is at his best, he’s got an aura about him in the batter’s box, and it’s such an aggressive look up there independent of if he has the perfect timing and rhythm — it looks like he owns the building.”
Not helping Wade’s playing time: the large number of lefthanded starters the Giants have faced lately, including four to start this week. The team is finally seeing a righthanded starter, Adam Oller, at Oakland on Saturday.
Wade is among those who might find himself with less
playing time as four regulars return from injuries in the next several days; on Sunday the team will have a roster conundrum should there be no other injuries in the meantime. Third baseman Evan Longoria (hamstring) might be back for the weekend series, shortstop Brandon Crawford (knee) and Joc Pederson (concussion) will return Saturday and infielder Thairo Estrada (concussion) Sunday.
David Villar, Bryce Johnson and Dixon Machado are likely to come off the roster this weekend, and the fourth spot presumably would be either Luis González — who is hitting well but is mistake-prone — or one of the left-handed hitters
who is not producing a lot, such as Wade, who is out of options, or Tommy La Stella, who is in in the second year of a three-year deal.
Those with options left include González, Mike Yastrzemski and a right-handed hitter, Yermín Mercedes.
Briefly: Wilmer Flores was named the Giants’ Heart & Hustle award winner; Wade was last year’s honoree. The award, voted on by past and present players, is presented by Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association and at the end of the season, a national winner is chosen by fans and players for embodying passion for the game . ... Kapler, an avid music fan, is spending the team’s rare in-season Friday off at the Outside Lands festival.