It seemed like Jason Bay was pulling himself out of his funk before the All-Star break. He had good series against the Tigers, Yankees and the Dodgers, putting a little hitting streak together for a while, showing some pop and generally not looking moribund.
But the last series before the break against the Giants had him going 0 for 11, and then yesterday he took an 0 for 4, stranding runners and missing a fly ball in the eighth inning yesterday that led to a three-run inning for Philly. That led to the boo birds coming out in full force and, seemingly, has Bay back to square one. That little spark of optimism notwithstanding, he’s at .234/.322/.329. Meanwhile, Scott Hairston is on a hot stretch and even Willie Harris is starting to look like a viable alternative.
So the question is: how much longer does Bay get penciled in the lineup every day?
I don’t have an answer. But I think that’s the question everyone is going to be asking for the next few days in New York.