Due to the struggles of Chris Colabello and Justin Smoak, manager John Gibbons said Encarnacion may begin to see more playing time at first base with someone else taking over the DH duties, theToronto Sun reports.
Due to the struggles of Chris Colabello and Justin Smoak, manager John Gibbons said Encarnacion may begin to see more playing time at first base with someone else taking over the DH duties, the Toronto Sun reports.
Analysis:
Between Smoak and Colabello, the two first basemen are 3-for-37 with 18 strikeouts. Encarnacion is already eligible at first, so the move would have no impact on roster flexibility. However, the 33-year-old was considerably worse last season when he played the field -- he hit .239/.329/.486 when he started at first base, well off his .301/.397/.595 line when filling the DH role. Smoak and Colabello will get time to work out their issues at the plate, but Encarnacion owners should keep a close eye on the situation, considering the impact it may have on his numbers
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