PHOENIX — Bo Bichette’s numbers are lagging, perhaps along with his luck.
The Mets infielder, still searching for his first real hot streak, entered Saturday with a disappointing .570 OPS, but his underlying numbers suggest he should be faring better.
Bichette began play with a .231 batting average, but according to Statcast, his expected batting average was .283, placing him in MLB’s 83rd percentile.
Bichette had two hard-hit balls in Friday’s victory over the Diamondbacks, including one to the right field fence that resulted in an out. In Saturday’s 2-1 loss, he added another hard-hit ball: a 100 mph shot to left field that went for an out in the eighth inning.
“It feels like every day there’s one at-bat when he hits a rocket and somebody is making a play,” manager Carlos Mendoza said before the game. “I am not worried about him. The ball is going to find holes. He’s too good a hitter.”
Bichette’s hard-hit ball rate (46.9 percent) and average exit velocity (91.2 mph) entering play also suggested some misfortune given his disappointing OPS.
“He’s just got to continue to focus on the things he can control,” Mendoza said, “which is to get a good pitch and put a good swing on it.”
Luis Torrens had a sore jaw Saturday after he was struck in the mask by a foul ball the previous night.
Torrens said he was fine to play, but Mendoza went a different direction with the lineup, inserting Francisco Alvarez (0-for-3) behind the plate with MJ Melendez (0-for-3 with a walk) as the DH.
There is a good chance Torrens will return behind the plate for Sunday’s series finale, according to Mendoza.
Huascar Brazobán will serve as Sunday’s opener, with David Peterson scheduled to pitch in a bulk relief role. Brazobán served as the opener ahead of Peterson on Monday in Colorado.
The lefty Peterson allowed two earned runs over four innings in his last appearance. *
Ketel Marte returned to Arizona’s lineup in the leadoff spot a day after being scratched due to an illness.