Rangers’ Adolis García Confronting Swing Struggles During Extended Break

ARLINGTON — Adolis García was out of the Texas Rangers’ lineup for the second straight day when Saturday’s lineup came out against St. Louis.

What was a “mental break,” in the words of manager Bruce Bochy, is turning into an extended break for the struggling outfielder, who has slashed .208/.256/.371 with seven home runs and 27 RBI this season.

Before Friday, Garcia’s only other game off was on April 26.

In this moment, Bochy wants his slugger to get right — and he’s willing to give him the time to do it.

“We know what an impact this guy can have on our club, but we have to have him right,” Bochy said. “We look at him the last 15 days, the last 30 days, and he’s been battling.”

Garcia is batting .155 with 25 strikeouts in his last 20 games. Something has to change.

Adolis García Talks About Sitting Out

García was in the Rangers’ clubhouse on Saturday. He was cheerful. He smiled. But he knows things aren’t going well.

It was Bochy’s decision to sit him. He didn’t give García much choice. He’d rather play. But after two months of trying to play his way out of a slump, his boss said he needed a step back.

“Bochy knows this game so well,” García said. “He said he’s watched me play and he says I need it (the break).”

Working in the Rangers’ favor is a quirk in their schedule. Texas was off on Thursday. After the Cardinals series ends on Sunday, the Rangers have another off day on Monday before a road trip to starts in Tampa on Tuesday. Assuming García doesn’t play on Sunday, he would get five days off after what Bochy described as a “tough stretch” for the entire team.

But the 32-year-old isn’t just sitting around. He said he’s been working on his approach at the plate and trying to get back to hitting the ball to the middle of the field.

The areas to improve are clear. Per Statcast he’s chasing 40.4%, which is in the third percentile in the Majors. His whiff rate of 31.7% is in the 11th percentile, while his strikeout rate is 26.5%, which is in the 19th percentile. He isn’t drawing walks either, just 5.1% of the time.

When he does connect, his 92.7 mph average exit velocity is in the 91st percentile. But he isn’t connecting nearly enough. There has always been some element of chase in his play. But in 2023 he chased just 29.3%, his career low for a full season.

It’s the plate discipline that must get better — and fast.

“We have a plan with him,” Bochy said. “We’re going to make sure we’re on the same page. I can’t tell you when, but he’ll be back in there. We just want to get him some time to make this adjustment and get back on track.”