CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — By the end of the 2017 season Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco had lost his role as the team’s cleanup hitter and was spending as much time on the bench as he was in the lineup.
Franco, 25, knew something had to change and he arrived to camp early 10 pounds lighter and motivated to regain the form earlier in his career.
“This is an important year, it’s going to be really important for me,” Franco said. “After 2017 I decided that I had to work harder and get better and do what I could to help my team.