JUPITER — Francisco Lindor has a simple solution to keep in mind the place he can and might’t place himself within the infield: He imagines a wall separating the filth and the grass.
“I have a wall behind me — an invisible wall — because I can’t touch the grass,” Lindor mentioned Wednesday after the Mets’ Grapefruit League sport in opposition to the Miami Marlins at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.
The pitch clock could be getting the entire consideration as spring coaching video games start, however the results of the brand new guidelines limiting shifts are being seen as nicely. Two infielders should be positioned on both facet of the second base bag when the pitch is launched and all 4 infielders will need to have each ft solidly within the infield filth when the pitcher is on the rubber. When examined within the minor leagues, these guidelines elevated batting averages and decreased strikeouts.
“I look to my left, I’m like, ‘OK, I guess I got a lot of ground to cover,’” Lindor mentioned. “I look to my right, I’m like, ‘OK, got a lot of ground to cover.’ And I’m like, well, don’t touch the grass, don’t touch the grass!’ It’s been good.”
Lindor has not discovered the restrictions tough to regulate to, and even mentioned they’ve even been gratifying to work with.
“It’s fun,” he mentioned. “I know I can’t go past second base. I don’t have to look at the card. Before I was looking at the card, like, ‘Am I gonna be on the other side? Am I staying on this side?’ So now it’s like, I got my limits that I can’t go to. So I know lefty and I know he’s gonna pull the ball, I play behind second base a little bit more to the right.”
WHAT TO MAKE OF BATY
Brett Baty has proven all of the indicators of being a tantalizing prospect. He’s additionally proven indicators that point out that he’s nonetheless growing.
His four-game hitting streak got here to an finish on Wednesday in opposition to the Marlins as he went 0-for-2 after being inserted late within the sport. He additionally made an error at third base, his second in 5 video games, within the backside of the fifth. But he made up for it with a robust defensive play two batters later, and began a troublesome double play to finish the eighth inning.
Manager Buck Showalter was proud of how Baty was capable of get better after a defensive miscue.
“I loved the play Baty made after the throwing error,” Showalter mentioned. “Things aren’t going to be perfect, it’s how you come back from it. He’s made some nice plays and had some good at-bats. A lot of good things.”
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
Lindor hit a monster house run off of right-hander Dylan Floro within the third inning, his first of the Grapefruit League season.
Shortstop Ronny Mauricio hit his third house run of spring coaching. He’s 3-for-7 this spring with all three hits going out of the park, and what’s much more encouraging is that a type of house runs got here on a breaking pitch.
Outfielder Tim Locastro hit a double for his first extra-base hit this spring and stole his third base.
The Mets used eight pitchers with 5 tossing scoreless frames. Showalter mentioned he was significantly impressed with right-hander Grant Hartwig, who signed with the Mets as an undrafted free agent in 2021 after concluding his faculty profession at Miami (Ohio).
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Source: www.bostonherald.com
