PITTSBURGH -- Marlins center fielder Lewis Brinson's rookie season hasn't gone as expected, but he is determined to close it out on a high note.
After slashing .186/.232/.338 through 84 games in 2018 before landing on the disabled list on July 4 with right hip inflammation, Brinson has been on a tear. He's shown an improved approach at the plate since being activated from the DL on Saturday.
Brinson continued to find success on Friday as he extended his hitting streak to eight by going 3-for-4 with a single, double and home run in the Marlins' 5-3 loss to the Pirates. He now has four multihit performances in his first six games since coming off the DL and is 11-for-22 during this stretch. 
"I want to just kind of be the player that I know that I'm supposed to be, and that I can be," Brinson said. "Kind of just trying to finish up strong, have a strong end of the season and help this team win as many games as possible in September."
"If he doesn't collapse his lower half, then he's going to be good," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "... He's got lightning hands and his lower half just needs to be solid. If he keeps the lower half in good position, he's going to hit."
Brinson, 24, was a top prospect in the Brewers organization a year ago before being acquired by the Marlins in January -- alongside Isan Diaz, Monte Harrison and Jordan Yamamoto -- in the deal that sent Christian Yelich to Milwaukee.
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"I'm just trying to be fluid with everything," Brinson said of his new approach. "I'm looking the other way more. Just kind of trusting my plan, trusting my approach against the pitcher that's pitching that day and, really, just trusting myself."
Brinson hasn't made any physical changes to his swing since the injury. He attributed his recent success to shifting his focus to continuing his development into the player he's felt glimpses of throughout his rookie season.
"I'm just trying to build off before I went on the DL," Brinson said. "I felt pretty good in June, toward the end of the month. Obviously an injury happened, but I was feeling pretty good there. Just trying to kind of build off that and be more consistent."
Dean named to MLB Pipeline's Prospect Team of the Year
MLB Pipeline released its annual Prospect Team of the Year on Friday, and Marlins outfielder Austin Dean was named to the second team.
Dean, 24, spent 109 combined games with Triple-A New Orleans and Double-A Jacksonville in 2018, batting .345 while posting a .922 OPS with 12 home runs and 68 RBIs. He was promoted to the Marlins in August, and has slashed .206/.254/.397 through his first 17 games in the Major Leagues.