Butler not talking to media but Yost says his attitude remains great
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The most affable and talkative player on the Royals isn't speaking much these days, at least not to the media.
Billy Butler, whose role has been significantly reduced since Eric Hosmer returned from injury Sept. 1, normally has always seemed more than willing to share his thoughts with reporters.
But in the past week, Butler has politely declined requests. The guess here is that Butler does not want to answer questions about his reduced role for fear that his words could get misconstrued, leaving him to look selfish in the eyes of fans -- no one wants to hear about individual issues when a team is battling for a playoff spot.
Butler has started just six games since Hosmer returned, even though Butler was a driving force in the Royals' second-half resurgence.
Through a 35-game stretch from late July to late August, Butler hit .310 with an .881 OPS. He had six homers and 21 RBI during that time.
More important, the Royals, with Butler playing primarily first base during that stretch, went 26-9 and rose to the top of division.
But Butler is just 1 for 20 since Hosmer's return, and just 2 for his last 32 overall.
Manager Ned Yost said he can't explain Butler's recent slump.
"(Our coaches) look at it every day," Yost said. "Billy doesn't even know. He's never been through this before.
"He has had some good at-bats -- he flew out (deep) to right field (Friday). He's not getting jammed and rolling out to shortstop like he had been before."
Compounding the slump perhaps is that Butler isn't getting consistent playing time to work on his timing.
"It's tougher," Yost conceded. "But sometimes a mental break is good, too. You clear your mind a little bit. You get back to being more aggressive and not wondering all the time why you're not hitting."
Yost said he has had individual chats with Butler about his reduced role.
"We've talked to him," Yost said. "He knows. He knows he is not producing right now to a level he is accustomed to."
But, Yost said, Butler has proven to be a great teammate for those who are starting.
"He has been great through all of this," Yost said. "He has been on the bench rooting hard for us."
You can follow Jeffrey Flanagan on Twitter at @jflanagankc or email him at jeffreyflanagan6@gmail.com.
