Texas Rangers’ Adolis García given the day off vs. Mets amid struggles at the plate

“It’s fair to say he’s been struggling for a while … we’ve got to get him going,” said Bruce Bochy.

Stuck in the midst of one of his coldest stretches as a Texas Ranger, right fielder Adolis García was given the day off on Tuesday against the New York Mets at Globe Life Field.

“I really think he does need a day off,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said. “It’s fair to say he’s been struggling for a while … we’ve got to get him going.”

García has struggled significantly, slashing just .158/.216/.283 over the past 40 games since being named the Rangers’ player of the month for March and April, with a meager 36 wRC+. 

During this stretch, he has struck out in 28.7% of his plate appearances and has managed only a .165 batting average against four-seam fastballs throughout the season. Previously, García had been an average hitter against fastballs in his first two full seasons with the Rangers, but his performance dipped to a .197 average against them last season, prompting opposing pitchers to increase their use of high-velocity pitches. Since May 1, García has accumulated a total of -5.7 runs below average against fastballs.

In the Rangers’ 14-2 loss to the Mets on Monday night, García went 0 for 3 and notably struck out on a high fastball to end the first inning with Corey Seager in scoring position at second base. Manager Bochy indicated that García will likely be back in action on Wednesday against Mets left-hander Sean Manaea, but will then be given a day off on Thursday, along with the rest of the team, before returning for Friday’s series opener against the Kansas City Royals.

“If we had the silver bullet, we’d have this fixed,” Bochy said. “He’s working hard to get on track. Last year we saw him go through similar times like he’s going through now. A lot of it is chasing, he knows that. I think it’s a case of, he gets a couple of good games under his belt, gets his timing down.”

The 31-year-old has swung at 34.8% of pitches outside of the zone since May 1, according to FanGraphs, more than any other Rangers hitter. García faced a challenging August last season in which he slashed .206/.313/.454, though he rebounded in the fall to win ALCS MVP and help lead the Rangers to their first-ever World Series title.