Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said he spoke with Sean Rodriguez on Wednesday about simplifying his approach on both sides of the ball as Rodriguez’s struggles continue.
“I encouraged him to try to slow things down at the plate as far as the leg kick and the hands, just keep the hands set in the hitting position and try to hit the ball gap to gap,” Hurdle said.
Rodriguez has a .272 on-base percentage, a .313 slugging percentage and a .162 average with a 31.6 percent strikeout rate. Among the 287 players with at least 110 plate appearances (Rodriguez has 114), his 18 percent swinging strike rate ranks 279th.