Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider has benched rookie infielder Kazuma Okamoto for Saturday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, aiming to help the struggling hitter reset both mentally and mechanically.
The decision comes as the Blue Jays, currently in third place, hold a 24-27 record.
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Despite leading the team with 10 home runs this season, Okamoto has been in a deep slump.
According to Thomas Hall of Blue Jays Nation, the 29-year-old rookie entered the game in a 5-for-46 skid since May 9, with a 41.2% strikeout rate.
That stretch lowered his season batting average to . 213 and his OPS to .
700.
Hall reported on X that Schneider said Okamoto has been “pulling off everything” lately and opening up too much at the plate.
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The manager noted that the rookie has been working hard behind the scenes to correct his approach.
Previous Rest Day
This is not the first time Okamoto has been given a day off recently.
He also sat out on May 17 against the Detroit Tigers, ending a stretch where he started 44 of Toronto's first 45 games.
That initial break came right after a 10-game hitting streak that included five home runs.
Okamoto, a former star for the Yomiuri Giants in Japan, had been a regular in the lineup before his recent struggles.
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The Blue Jays hope that a brief pause will help Okamoto regain his form at the plate.
