JD Martinez didn't want to talk much about his recent slump before Thursday's game for fear it would put negative thoughts in his head.
But the Mets' veteran designated hitter was willing to say he has a good idea of what needs to be fixed.
“My mechanics aren’t great right now, they haven’t been, so I’ve been going out there,” Martinez said before going hitless in four at-bats in a 10-6 win over the Phillies. “I have to let my back shoulder stay up while my elbow drops. It’s just a habit I’ve gotten into. I’ve got to find a way to fix it.”
Martinez extended his downward spiral — which he has referred to lately as “shitty” performances — to 0 for 28.
With any luck he would have hit several home runs last weekend in Philadelphia, but two balls he hit remained in the park, including one that Cal Stevenson reached over the fence to steal.
Entering the game, he had a .083/.175/.111 batting line in September with four RBIs.
Martinez's Statcast numbers suggest he's had some bad luck at the plate, based on the 15.4 percent of batted balls he's hit this season, which ranks in the 96th percentile in MLB.
“If you look at my projected numbers for this year, they are much higher than the actual numbers,” Martinez said. “That’s actually what I have to base myself on.”
Martinez, 36, said the back ailments that bothered him for much of last season (and again in spring training) have not been an issue for him this season.
“He’s been inconsistent right now, sometimes falling behind or maybe staying in the middle,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “But there were some good signs in the series in Philadelphia. He hit the ball hard and had some good at-bats.”
Martinez returned to the lineup Thursday after a day off.
“He’s always going to be watching film and making adjustments to his mechanics,” Mendoza said. “We’re going to need him.”
Mendoza confirmed that Tylor Megill will start Sunday's series finale against Zack Wheeler.
Jose Iglesias went 2-for-5 and extended his hitting streak to 13 games. During that span, he went 20-for-49 (.408).
