Rangers’ Odor still confident while stuck near Mendoza Line

For a second consecutive scheduled game Thursday, Rougned Odor entered with his batting average above .200.

He has been toeing the Mendoza Line for the past two weeks while in the middle of the Texas Rangers’ lineup, sometimes above .200 and sometimes below.

But the second baseman hasn’t seen his confidence waver and hasn’t been altering his mechanics in search of base hits. His solution is a simple one, though so far it’s proven easier to say than do.

“Hit the ball,” said Odor, who was batting .207. “I’m just missing, but I feel good. I’m always confident. I always believe in myself, and I believe in my teammates.”

Odor was not listed as the Rangers’ starting second baseman for the first time this season for the finale at Fenway Park, but stuck in the lineup for the 48th consecutive game as the designated hitter.

He went 3 for 8 in the first two games against the Boston Red Sox and continues to be a fixture in the heart of the batting order. Rangers manager Jeff Banister believes that Odor remains a power threat after hitting 33 home runs last season, even though he has only six this season and hasn’t hit one in nearly three weeks.

Banister agrees with Odor’s self-evaluation that he’s missing too many pitches that he normally drives. Banister noted the high quantity of foul balls from Odor, an indication that his timing is just off.

Odor said that all the swing components he needs to be successful are there. He believes that his prolonged season-opening slump is about to end.

“It’s baseball, man,” Odor said. “It’s a long season, a long season. It’s not how we start. It’s how we finish. That’s what I always say.”

This story was originally published May 25, 2017 at 2:13 PM with the headline "Rangers’ Odor still confident while stuck near Mendoza Line."