NewsOrdonez struggling at the plate
Tigers veteran given another start at designated hitter
By David Just / Special to MLB.com
05/06/09 8:10 PM ET
CHICAGO -- Magglio Ordonez's struggles in the early going of the 2009 campaign came to a head Tuesday, when the slugger went 0-for-4 for a second straight day and lowered his season average to .232.In the last three years, Ordonez never batted below .296 in the month of April, making his slow start all the more puzzling.
Tigers manager Jim Leyland was at a loss for words to describe the slump before Wednesday's game against the White Sox.
"He's struggling," Leyland said matter of factly. "He's got some other things on his mind."
Leyland wasn't willing or able to get into specifics, but he is giving Ordonez as much opportunity as possible to focus on getting his groove back.
"I actually had him [back] in right field tonight," Leyland said. "At the suggestion of [hitting coach] Lloyd McClendon, we're giving him one more game at [designated hitter] to concentrate on hitting.
"You got to be careful with that, though," Leyland continued, "because you don't want to be a DH or labeled a DH. He's not the DH. We don't have a DH. We have about five of them. I might possibly DH [Miguel] Cabrera tomorrow. I'll talk to Magglio and get the approval and go from there."
But more concerning than Ordonez's struggles to hit for average might be his .293 slugging percentage. The usually reliable power hitter has only two extra-base hits this season, both home runs.
But U.S. Cellular Field should provide a good opportunity to turn the corner. The outfielder spent the first eight years of his career on the South Side of Chicago, where he batted .307 with a .525 slugging percentage. When playing against his former team, Ordonez is even better, hitting at a .329 clip, which ranks fifth all-time against the White Sox.
Fortunately, despite Ordonez's struggles, the Tigers have won three of their last four games with help from the rest of the lineup. The team is batting .294 with runners in scoring position since April 10, which is good for fourth-best in the American League.
David Just is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
