Dale Zanine, USA TODAY SPORTS
Jay Bruce has always been a streaky hitter for the Cincinnati Reds. When he’s hot, he can carry the Reds for several days at a time. But when he’s not, the results can be dreadful.
Unfortunately for Bruce and the Reds, the entire 2015 season has been on the dreadful end of the scale for the former All-Star outfielder. Bruce had played in 34 games heading into Friday night’s contest against the San Francisco Giants, and he was batting an unbelievable .162 on the season.
As if the batting average wasn’t bad enough, the statistics actually tell a much worse story for Bruce. He has struck out more than twice as many times (39) as he has gotten a hit (19). Eleven of his 19 hits have been singles and he has just five homers. If there is any good news at all, and this is a reach, Bruce is second on the team in triples with two.
Cincinnati manager Bryan Price gave Bruce the night off on Friday. It didn’t matter as the Giants pounded the Reds 10-2.
Price needs to keep Bruce on the bench for the immediate future. Maybe a few days off can help the slugger get extra reps in the batting cage, correct his swing, watch tape on himself or just generally rest. At this point, Bruce playing every day is not helping him and it’s definitely not helping the Reds.
If Cincinnati is to make any noise in the National League Central division this season, they need Bruce to be something close to the player he once was. But for now, Bruce needs to stay on the bench.
Tim Letcher is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TimLetcher , on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
