Weeks adjusting to life as pinch-hitter

April 14th, 2016

LOS ANGELES -- For most of his career, Rickie Weeks Jr. played every day, but when he made the D-backs' Opening Day roster, he knew his role was going to be that of a late-inning pinch-hitter.
"You try and stay prepared, really," Weeks said. "The biggest thing is try to stick to the same routine. A lot of times it's real easy to come here and if I'm not playing and just go out there for BP. But you still want to do the same stuff you do during Spring Training. I go to the cage, do my tee work, do some drills that I usually do. About the fourth or fifth inning, I come in and get loose and make sure I'm loose the rest of the game."
Weeks has just one hit in six at-bats off the bench so far this year, but he has done a good job of working counts and having good at-bats.
"My job as a big leaguer was a pinch-hitter," D-backs manager Chip Hale said. "So I really watch carefully how he takes BP, and in the games I watch his at-bats. If his at-bats start to fall off I'm going to try and get him a start to try and give him four or five at-bats at once to get him locked in. But I've been very happy with him so far."