Patience will get Soler back on track

CHICAGO -- All Cubs manager Joe Maddon wants Jorge Soler to do is take a walk. Soler was batting .257 entering Monday's game against the Pirates, and has been striking out more.

"All he needs to do is take his walks," Maddon said. "Seriously, when you're walking, you're hitting, especially guys that good. You're not expanding your strike zone, you're not chasing that guy's pitch. He doesn't need to make any physical adjustments -- feet, arms, hands, head. His adjustment has to come from the fact that, 'I'm going to accept my walks.' Once he comes to terms with that, he'll take off again."

In his past eight games, Soler went 8-for-36 with three walks and 17 strikeouts. In his first nine games, Soler was 10-for-34 with three walks and 11 strikeouts.

"The biggest thing I've noticed with him is frustration in other components of his game, and that's what I would like for him to avoid," Maddon said of the young outfielder. "He has shown in the past to be a really patient hitter, who doesn't normally chase, and he has recently."

Maddon may recruit someone to help get his message across to Soler, who is still learning English.

"He needs to know I like him and support him, and he knows that," Maddon said."He's just frustrated right now."

In the Cubs' 4-0 victory on Monday, Soler went 2-for-4 to raise his average to .270. He doubled in the first inning and then singled during a three-run, two-out rally in the third. In the fifth, he grounded into a double play, and in the seventh, he struck out swinging.