When Brian Snitker penciled in his lineup for game two against the Phillies, the Braves’ manager left a key player out of it.
Michael Harris II, who is 13-for-88 (.148) in the month of June, received a day off after another rough night at the plate that saw him finish 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.
“Every now and then there comes a time where you toy between: The only way they’re gonna get it going is to get in there and grind through it,” Snitker said. “And then other times, you just let him sit back and watch and maybe see that it’s not as hard as they’re making it.”
Harris sat at his locker as the clubhouse opened to the media on Saturday afternoon. He likely knew the questions about his recent performance and temporary benching were coming, and he answered each one with honesty.
The 24-year-old said plate discipline is his biggest issue, and the results support his belief. Harris has not earned a walk in his last 131 plate appearances and owns a .238 on-base percentage with a .559 OPS, which both rank lowest among all 158 qualifiers.
He hopes the rest will allow him to sit back, watch the game and observe what to do in key situations.
“Didn’t want it to go on this long,” Harris said of his struggles. “But I guess maybe a day off can definitely change things to ease the mental.”
Harris, the 2022 National League Rookie of the Year, appeared unsure of where the pitcher was going to attack him in multiple at-bats. In the Braves’ series opener with the Phillies, he struck out twice on pitches outside of the strike zone, but against the Mets last week, he also took multiple pitches for strikes.
He said locking in on an area of the strike zone to hunt pitches within will be key to turning his at-bats around.
Despite his challenges at the plate, Harris’ glove has remained one of the best in MLB. His nine defensive runs saved rank fourth among his position, and he made a nice sliding catch during the Braves’ blowout loss to the Phillies on Friday.
“I try to be two different players,” Harris said of compartmentalizing. “I can’t think about what I did on offense, on defense, and I can’t think about what I did on defense when I’m at the plate. I was just trying to be two different players, living in the moment of who I am on the field.”
Harris’ defense is part of the reason the Braves hesitated to take him out of the lineup. Every run means more to a team that is struggling to score, so having Harris — one of the best defensive center fielders in the game — in the outfield is valuable.
Now, the Braves just need his bat to get going, and they hope the off day helps ignite it.
“A lot of times, you need to make that decision for him,” Snitker said. “Maybe something like this does calm things down for him. And that’s what I’m hoping.”
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