Why Eugenio Suárez isn’t worried about ‘little slump’ since returning to Mariners
BALTIMORE – Eugenio Suárez couldn’t have asked for his return to Seattle to go better, with one exception.
He’d like to get his bat going.
Suárez acknowledged on Thursday morning what the numbers have told – he’s in a little bit of a slump. But he thinks he’s starting to come around.
“I want to call this a little slump. It’s not something that makes me nervous or have a concern about it. I know that maybe today or tomorrow we’re going to start doing better and I want to continue believing in what I’ve been doing and continue believing in what I’ve been working for and not try and be a superhero here or do something crazy. Just try and be me. Enjoy the time. Enjoy the moment and win games.”
Suárez was on base twice in Wednesday night’s 4-3 loss to the Orioles and while reaching base two times – once on a single and once on a walk – might not seem significant, it is. It’s just the second time in his 12 games back with the Mariners that he’s been on base twice.
In those 12 games entering Thursday’s rain delayed matinee against the Orioles, Suárez was batting .114 with a .167 on-base percentage and .371 OPS. He has just five hits and one home run.
His numbers via MLB Statcast also haven’t been great since July 31. His strikeout rate is 35%, his walk rate is 6% and his hard-hit rate is 39%. Before the trade, Suárez was striking out 27% of the time, walking 7% and had a 51% hard-hit rate.
Those aren’t the numbers the M’s were expecting to get when they brought the third baseman back for his second stint with the club.
But maybe it should have been a little expected. Suárez was already in a slump when the trade happened, with just three hits in 25 at-bats leading into the deadline deal that brought him back to the Mariners.
“At some point, my results or my good at-bats, or hits or homers, RBI, are going to be there,” Suárez said. “I just don’t want to be nervous about that. Just want to keep continuing to be myself and enjoy the process.”
“Pretty much have the same page with the hitting coach here,” Suárez said. “I know they’ve been really good for me. They’ve helped me a lot. They (given) me a couple adjustments that I’ve been making, so I’ve been working on that as well.”
Cal’s day off
For only the fifth time this season, Cal Raleigh wasn’t in the starting lineup on Thursday. Wilson said this day had been targeted as a good opportunity to give Raleigh a blow considering the quick turnaround from Wednesday’s night game and an opportunity to get out of the East Coast heat and humidity. The first-pitch temperature on Thursday was 88 degrees with humidity above 60%.
“We’re trying to take care of him as best we can, in terms of rest and a really quick turnaround and the delay last night,” Wilson said. “We kind of identified this day as a day that would be a good one. You know, previous to the New York and Philadelphia and some of the extra travel, some of that stuff that we’ve got coming up too.
Raleigh did appear as a pinch hitter and drew a walk during Thursday’s game.