ATLANTA — Yoenis Cespedes, normally the Mets’ most dynamic hitter, is off to an unusual slump this season. Through 20 games, he has a feeble .195 batting average and just four home runs. His 37 strikeouts lead baseball. And, despite leading the Mets with 18 R.B.I., including three game-winning hits, he admitted he is “far too lost” at the plate.
He gave a possible reason for the poor start this weekend: Not playing enough golf, a hobby beloved by many baseball players. And, yes, he is serious.
“In previous seasons, one of the things I did when I wasn’t going well was to play golf,” he said after a game on Friday in which he struck out four times but still drove in the go-ahead run in the 12th inning.