ANAHEIM – Matt Joyce is providing Mike Scioscia with a dilemma that all managers face.
At what point do you toss out the past because of the present?
Joyce is a 30-year-old one-time All-Star with a .774 OPS in 2,590 plate appearances eight major league seasons. His adjusted OPS, which factors league and ballpark, is 115, which means Joyce has been 15 percent better than the average major league hitter over his career.
On the other hand, heading into Sunday's game he is hitting .132, with an adjusted OPS of … five.
Recognizing Joyce’s slump, Scioscia has benched him against left-handed pitchers and dropped him to seventh against right-handed pitchers.