The Houston Astros traded for Jesus Sanchez from the Miami Marlins before the deadline to fill their need for a left-handed hitting outfielder. With Yordan Alvarez sidelined by a fractured right hand, they needed someone who could step in and produce.
Sanchez looked good early on. Those first few games showed why Houston targeted him.
But right now? He’s stuck in one of those brutal stretches that can break a player’s confidence. 24 straight at-bats without a hit after Monday’s loss to Detroit. That’s the kind of slump that gets in your head.
And it’s clearly weighing on him, according to the Houston Chronicle’s Matt Kawahara.
“I’m trying to find myself,” Sanchez said. “But you’ve got to keep your head high and try to get some good at-bats.”
That’s about as honest as it gets from a player who’s pressing. The good news is manager Joe Espada isn’t panicking. He’s seen enough of Sanchez to know what he’s capable of when he’s right.
“We acquired him to play,” Espada said. “And we believe in his bat. He’s a really good hitter. It’s just helping him through that weirdness that he’s talking about. Trying to make him comfortable, trying not to have it feel like he has to be the hero every night. He’s part of a really good lineup. Just relax and be you.”
That’s the right approach. When a hitter’s struggling this badly, the worst thing you can do is pile on more pressure. Sanchez doesn’t need to carry the team – he just needs to get back to being the player Houston thought they were getting.
The Astros are giving him a breather Tuesday against Detroit’s Tarik Skubal. Sometimes stepping away for a game helps reset things mentally.
What makes this situation tricky is the timing. Houston’s in a playoff race, and they traded for Sanchez expecting immediate production. But rushing him back into action while he’s this cold could make things worse. Better to let him work through it now than have it linger into October.