Rays' Zobrist suffering early power outage

Even after managing only five runs in the final three games of their Kansas City series, the Rays led the majors in runs and batting average with runners in scoring position entering Monday's play.

And they had done so without Ben Zobrist hitting a home run.

An encouraging thought for the Rays as they begin a nine-game trip tonight at Seattle is they've been hitting and scoring at a good clip, and yet Zobrist, the 2009 team MVP, hasn't found his power stroke yet.

Coming off a season in which he hit .297 with 27 home runs, 91 RBIs and a .948 OPS (on-base and slugging percentage) that ranked third in the American League, "Zorilla" is hitting .252 with the same number of RBIs (10) as April 13 call-up John Jaso.

A known quantity now, Zobrist is being scouted better, and pitchers are making him expand his strike zone.

"Because of the year he had last year, people are going to make adjustments," Rays first-year hitting coach Derek Shelton said. "But he's a bright guy, he works hard, and he's going to adjust, too.

"So that adjustment period, I think, is a little bit of what we're seeing now. I don't think it's anything we're concerned about. He's going to hit."

Zobrist, who works with a private swing coach during the offseason, acknowledges that pitchers know him better and are challenging him with "really good pitches" at a time of the year when he typically battles to find his swing path.

He doesn't think moving up to third in the order after batting fourth or fifth much of last year has caused him to change his approach.

Manager Joe Maddon made the switch at the start of the season to take advantage of his .405 on-base percentage last year and set up Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena for more RBIs.

"I've always been a slow starter," Zobrist said. "Even in the minor leagues, I always had trouble getting in the groove with my swing the first couple of weeks. I'd swing good in spring training, and once the season starts, they're pitching you differently.

"In spring training, guys are working on things, and you're only facing them for one or two innings. The season starts and they start attacking batters differently, and, as a hitter, sometimes you start pressing."

Shouldn't matter

Shelton also thinks there's no reason why Zobrist should be less productive or confident batting in third than he was as the cleanup hitter through most of August and September last year.

"I don't think going from fourth to third is that big a difference," he said. "And the way our lineup rolls over, I think at some point everybody feels like they're in the middle of the order."

Maddon believes that Zobrist, who last month signed a three-year extension with two option years that could be worth nearly $30 million, has expanded his strike zone and will regain his form when he starts working deeper counts.

He doesn't see any reason to adjust a batting order that has stayed consistent through the season's first month.

"It has worked out pretty well," he said. "I think Longo and Carlos have had plenty of RBI opportunities. (Zobrist) is going to start drawing his walks, and he's going to get on base. And he's still going to see a lot of pitches."

After walking 91 times last year, or once in every 6.6 plate appearances, Zobrist has walked 11 times this year, or once in every 9.9 plate appearances. His on-base percentage has fallen to .358.

Selective process

Zobrist believes that chasing pitches also has kept him from hitting any home runs. "(I'm) trying to hit pitches I don't normally hit for home runs, or don't normally hit hard," he said. The correction, he said, is to be more selective.

"I think I was trying to prove something you don't need to prove," he said. "Sometimes you're trying to force the ball to a certain place, and you can't do that. You have to let it come to you - let those hits come when they're going to come.

"It doesn't matter whether it's a home run or a double or whatever it is. If they're productive for the team, that's what matters. So the goal is to have the most productive at-bats as possible."

Maddon, ever the optimist, is confident Zobrist's hits, walks and home runs will come.

"He's still been very productive in a lot of ways," Maddon said. "He just hasn't hit the home run yet. I think once the ball flies out of the ballpark, you're going to see him really settle in.

"I'm not concerned. I just think at this point he's being pitched that hard, and he's just expanded his strike zone. We've got to get him back to being that structured hitter."