Arizona Diamondbacks

Why Chip Hale thinks D-backs rookie Yasmany Tomas is struggling at plate

Published Aug. 20, 2015 4:36 a.m. ET

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While Yasmany Tomas is having an impressive rookie season, he's hit a standstill recently in the batter's box, and his manage rthinks he knows what's causing the lull.

In his first 93 games in the majors, Tomas is hitting.296/.330/.425 with seven home runs and 42 RBI, figures that are by no means worthy of scoffing at for a 24-year-old player in his first year facing the best baseball players in the world.

However, Tomas has tapered off at the plate after beginning July with a laudable slash line of .319/.361/.440, hitting only .261/.276/.403 with three home runs and 13 RBI since July 1.

Manager Chip Hale thinks he's has figured out what's keeping Tomas in a rut.

"He's just swinging at the wrong pitches," Hale said. "It's his approach. He's been talked to numerous times by numerous people – our hitting people and Ariel [Prieto] translates it well – that certain pitches that each pitchers throw are the ones he needs to lay off and he's not doing that right now."

Although he's apparently aware of the root of his shortcomings, Tomas hasn't been able to remedy his woes, and his numbers have been on a steady decline as a result.

"It's probably anxiety, trying to do something right away instead of saying, 'You know what, I can take a pitch here,' or 'I can layoff the pitch below my knees,'" Hale said. "He thinks he can hit them all and he does put them in play, unfortunately, some times."

(h/t Arizona Republic)