Right fielder Jay Bruce singled in his first at-bat on Sunday, but struck out in his final three at-bats. He ended his series with the Phillies going 1-for-8 with seven strikeouts.
“He’s trying to do too much,” manager Terry Collins said after the Mets’ 5-1 loss. “He’s really, really put a lot of heat on himself, so we’ve got to get him to somehow calm down.”
“We got him for a reason, and we’ve got to somehow get him to settle in and do some damage for us, because that’s certainly a big spot in the lineup. When you don’t have Yoenis Cespedes, there’s spots in your outfield you need some production, and he’s in one of those spots.” (New York Post)
Bruce is now batting .164 with a .515 OPS, two home runs, and six RBI in 23 games with the Mets while striking out 26 times.
Original Report – Aug 27
A day after striking out four times against the Phillies on Friday night, right fielder Jay Bruce is out of the lineup on Saturday even though there’s a right-hander on the mound.
Terry Collins told reporters at Citi Field that he wanted to give Bruce a day off primarily to clear his head. “He really needs a mental break.”
Bruce had already missed a couple of games with a strained right calf, and had just returned to the lineup on Friday night.
However, despite the Mets exploding for nine runs, 11 hits, four home runs and three walks against the Phillies, Bruce saw his struggles continue as he struck out in all four of his plate appearances and earned himself the dreaded golden sombrero.
Bruce, 29, is now hitting .160 (13-for-81) with 23 strikeouts and a .516 OPS since joining the Mets.
The Mets have a $13 million team option on Bruce for the 2017 season with a $1 million buyout.
