During Sunday’s game at Miller Park, in the eighth inning, Juan Lagares was trying to beat out a ground ball to shortstop, when he decided to slide head first into the first base bag. Lagares was out on the play; a decision that Terry Collins was not too pleased about.
“Everybody said it — I know he doesn’t read the newspaper very much — but anybody who’s been hurt in the last two months, it’s all about diving into the bases,” Collins tells Mike Vorkunov of the Star-Ledger.
Bryce Harper and Josh Hamilton both have missed a time this season after being injured for the very play that Lagares chose to engage in.
According to Collins he spoke with Lagares after the game and the young outfielder said no one had approached him about the play.
“I was just trying to do something to get a hit because I don’t remember the last time I did,” said Lagares.
Lagares finished 0-for-3 on Sunday and is hitless since July 21st. He is 0 for 17 in that span. Collins gave him a day to work on his approach at the plate. “We gotta get him back on track,” Collins said.” He’s scuffling right now. For a young guy, he needs a break.”
“We’re trying to get him, again, to reduce the strike zone. He’s enlarging it. We gotta get him to shrink it a little bit and get some balls and don’t be afraid to get a strike called on you. We need him to get going because he’s a big piece, especially defensively here.”
(Photo Credit: Rob Foldy/Getty Images)
