Danny Espinosa struggles on the plate despite showing potential before the season - MLB News
Danny Espinosa’s season batting average is a stark opposite to what the manager Davey Johnson expected of him before start of the season. He has been given chances, even when management may have considered other options.
He seems to be cutting the sorry figure now. In every game he is being sent on the plate, he is making a mess of his at-bats.
Swinging prematurely or not sighting the throws correct has been his problem. Short-stop, Ian Desmond, on the other hand has lived up to his talent and has shown consistency with regard to hits.
Espinosa’s performance has reached such a level that he appears to be a burden on the line-up. During initial few innings, clean hits are needed to load the bases. However, it has not come about during his presence in the line-up.
At the moment, the Nationals have scored least number of runs in National League East Division. This explains weakness of their offence. The gap of runs with other teams in the Division can be found in less number of runs, Espinosa contributed.
He was one of those players, the manager had levied many hopes and had envisaged huge hits. Frustration is visible in the statements by Espinosa about his performance in the season. Being trusted time-and-again and yet not performing are worst situations
for players. He is passing through the same passage.
Believing that bad time does not last forever, Espinosa is hopeful of turning his fate around in upcoming games.
“I’m at the point where I’m just like, ‘s***w it. I’m too good. It’ll take over at some point.’ I get frustrated with it, but I’m not worried about it because … it’s not new territory for me. The strikeouts are high right now, but if I get hot and keep hot
for the year, the strikeouts will go way down and they won’t be a problem,” Espinosa said.
He is hitting .191, far poorer than his career average of .226.
Homers he has hit in his career are an evidence of his talent. How long he takes to return to his best will determine his place in the line-up ahead in the season.
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