Worth flashing bat after reworking approach

LAKELAND, Fla. -- Danny Worth doesn't have a first baseman's glove. When Tigers manager Jim Leyland put him there in Thursday's game against the Braves, he had to borrow Don Kelly's glove.

If Worth makes the team, he might have to get an extra glove just in case, he was thinking Friday. But his swing might be a little more important.

It's early, but he's showing signs of getting that, too.

Worth went into Thursday having been working with hitting coach Lloyd McClendon on taking pitches to the opposite field. His three hits included two doubles, one hit well to right-center and another down the right-field line.

It's a small sample size, but he's 7-for-18 so far this spring with four doubles. His next base hit will put him halfway to his total in 43 games as a Tiger last regular season.

"Like most all other players, if you hit, you play," Leyland said. "He's stronger, and he's doing better. Mac's been working him, and the one thing he's been working on, he did it twice last night."

Some of the work, Worth said, was mechanical. More of it was his approach.

"I just have a more simple approach," Worth said. "Last year, I just kind of got out of my boundaries a little bit, trying to do too much, hit for too much power -- which translates into hitting for no power. I'm just trying to make it simple and use the whole field more."