JUPITER, Fla. -- Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker hasn’t been in the lineup the past three games because he has been working in the team’s hitting lab, which is located in the back fields at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Walker is currently going through swing changes in order to see the ball better out of the pitcher’s hand.
Walker is expected to provide some thump in St. Louis’ lineup this season. But entering Sunday afternoon’s action, Walker was 6-for-30 (.200) with two RBIs and 11 strikeouts this spring. The team hopes he can be back in the lineup by Tuesday against the Nationals. It was Walker’s idea to take a break from game action in order to work in the lab, and the Cardinals accommodated him.
“[He is taking] the three days of not trying to practice something and put it in the game immediately,” manager Oliver Marmol explained. “[Being in the lab] allows him time to really dive deep into where we are at and what truly needs to happen. I want to give him a little bit of a break to be able to just focus [on his swing] and not carry it into the game. We hope the attention is there and then give him a date on when he is back in the lineup and implement it.”
Walker said the goal was to slow things down in the batter’s box and be ready for any pitch coming to the plate.
“I feel like working like this is going to be beneficial, for sure,” Walker said. “The communication has been great [with the coach staff]. That’s how I view it. I think slowing everything down, especially in Spring Training, would be good.”
In order for Walker to be successful at the plate, he must spread the ball all over the field. The right-handed hitter is known to hit monster home runs into the left-field seats.
“That’s the goal. I would love to take that into the game, for sure,” he said.
What would it mean for Walker to work in the hitting lab and then take those lessons into the game starting Tuesday?
“It would mean the world. I want to be successful at all times,” he said. “[Being in the lab] those three days and doing it in the game would mean a lot.”
Walker is trying to put last year behind him, a season in which he had a slash line of .215/.278/.306. He also struggled defensively, recording -4 outs above average. Walker credits outfield coach Jon Jay for helping him be more comfortable with the glove. They put in a lot of work together on the back fields. The key is for Walker to be confident every time he goes after the ball.
“Defense is something I want locked down,” Walker said. “I’m still getting better out there. There are ups and downs during the season with hitting, but I want the defense to be there all the time.”
When it comes to success on the field, confidence plays a role in how well Walker does. As recently as March 8, Walker said that his confidence was high, thanks to the coaching staff and his teammates.
“Part of baseball that I really love is coming to the ballpark and seeing those guys,” Walker said at the time. “There are a lot of good talks and we are all in the same position on the field when it comes to the fly balls or ground balls. Getting their perspective really helps.”
Dobbins headed to IL
Cardinals right-hander Hunter Dobbins will start the season on the 15-day injured list, according to Marmol. Dobbins was able to pitch five innings on the back fields as recently as Saturday, but he still needs to field his position off the mound.
Dobbins was acquired by the Cardinals in a four-player trade in December that sent first baseman Willson Contreras to the Red Sox. St. Louis traded for Dobbins even though he tore his right ACL against the Rays on July 11.
Dobbins made his Major League debut against the Cardinals last April and went on to win four games with a 4.13 ERA before the knee injury ended his season.
Fitts pitches well against Nats
Right-hander Richard Fitts, who is fighting for a spot in the Cardinals’ rotation, had his longest outing of the spring on Sunday afternoon, throwing 4 2/3 innings and allowing two runs on one hit and three walks to go with five strikeouts in a 6-3 victory over the Nationals.
Fitts had a rough second inning as he threw 21 pitches and was responsible for two baserunners when he left the game in favor of right-hander Hunter Hayes, who allowed a three-run homer to Joey Wiemer. Fitts re-entered the game in the third and pitched three scoreless innings.
“He has good stuff,” Marmol said about Fitts. “What I liked about today is, the curveball is usually a good pitch for him. He couldn’t lean on it. It wasn’t doing what he wanted it to do. He relied heavily on the slider instead and was effective with it. He probably mixed in two or three sinkers. The rest were four-seams. He did a nice job shutting down that lineup.”