BOSTON — Adam LaRoche will have two days off to find what has ailed his swing.
The White Sox designated hitter wasn’t in the lineup on Monday nor is he expected to be on Tuesday as the club gives him time to figure out his approach.
Admittedly frustrated and baffled, LaRoche is 6-for-49 with one RBI and 20 strikeouts over his last 14 games. Manager Robin Ventura thinks LaRoche’s .265 OPS in that span is likely a combination of not seeing the ball well and poor mechanics, which has the veteran in one of the longer funks of his career.
“Then your mind can become involved,” Ventura said. “You can send yourself down a road that you don’t believe you are going to do some damage. I think for him, it’s getting that feeling back. He went through a little bit of it in Toronto, where he got a good feel going for a little while.
“Probably give him two (days) just to work out some things. I know you can get frustrated. I know he’s frustrated.”
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LaRoche hasn’t homered since June 24, a span of 91 plate appearances. He has struck out 31 times in the stretch and is whiffing in 30.3 percent of his plate appearances in 2015, a career-high rate. Last season, LaRoche struck out a career-low 18.4 percent.
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Ventura has had many conversations with LaRoche and knows what the veteran has endured in the first season of a two-year, $25-million deal with the White Sox. Ventura is glad LaRoche has the experience to know he’ll find it once again. He also believes the two days should help.
“Rochey can kind of work it out in the cage and have a couple of days knowing he can go in there and work on some stuff,” Ventura said. “He’s trying to figure it out, so he’s working through it. You continue to do that. He’ll be back in there to play. But for two days, he’s going to ease the mind and not be in there.
“He’s been through some stuff, and he’ll fight through it. You have to get to that point where you’ll fight through it. He’s going to do that.”