Nick Maton 'going back to his strengths' with White Sox
White Sox infielder Nick Maton felt old in Baltimore. Maton is only 28, but the Orioles’ collection of young talent made him feel like a graybeard.
“I always felt like the younger guy,’’ Maton said, ‘‘and I get over there, and you’ve got [Gunnar Henderson]. He’s 23, and [Jackson Holliday] is [21]. It was just cool to see everybody, what they could do, and all the talent over there.”
Aside from experiencing that age gap, Maton rediscovered himself with the Orioles while working with their Triple-A team. He had a tough 2023 with the Tigers, batting .173/.288/.305. Throughout his major-league career, Maton had been a good fastball hitter, batting .283 and .406 off the pitch in 2021 and 2022, respectively, with the Phillies.
But in ’23, Maton’s batting average on fastballs dipped to .233. He said getting back to the hitter he was in Philadelphia — attacking fastballs — has helped early in the season.
“I really got off of that, and that’s my strength,” Maton said. “When you’re trying to hit pitchers’ strengths over here without your strengths, it’s really not going to work out that well because there’s a reason they’re there. People have got really good stuff, so you’ve just got to stick [to] what you do best.”
Being careful with Robert Jr.
Luis Robert Jr. was the designated hitter Wednesday. There’s nothing wrong with Robert, but the team is going to be cautious with his health. He has played at least 100 games twice in his career, including 100 games last year.
“For us, his health is going to be important,” manager Will Venable said. “And finding spots for DHs, days off, whatever it might be, we’re going to prioritize that. We also like other guys out there, too, and give them a chance to go out there and play defense.’’
Robert hasn’t had a blistering start at the plate, but his at-bats have been more patient and lengthy. He’s fouling off more pitches and putting good swings on balls.