SEATTLE - Two days after being fined for ignoring a manager's order and one day after failing to run out a dropped third strike on one of his three strikeouts, enigmatic Phillies centerfielder Odubel Herrera was not in the starting lineup for Tuesday night's game against the Seattle Mariners.
Benched?
No, said manager Pete Mackanin.
"Just a day off," he said.
Benched?
No, said Herrera.
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"No, no, he talked to me today and said just a night off," Herrera said. "He told me I will play tomorrow."
With a tough lefty, James Paxton, pitching for Seattle, Mackanin went with a lineup heavy on right-handed bats and switch-hitters. Herrera hits left-handed. Paxton was holding lefty hitters to a .194 batting average this season.
Interestingly, Herrera has hit lefties (.272) better than righties (.250) this season and he's in the midst of a month of June that has seen him stroke 16 extra-base hits while hitting .333 for a team that scored just four runs while losing its last three in Phoenix.
Nonetheless, Mackanin held Herrera out.
"It gives me a chance to play the other guys," said Mackanin, who used an outfield of Daniel Nava in left field, Aaron Altherr in center and Cameron Perkins in right.
So it has nothing to do with Herrera's three punch outs and effort on Monday?
"No," Mackanin said.
Is Herrera tired?
"It just gives me the opportunity to get the other guys some at-bats," Mackanin said.
Despite a big month of June at the plate - a .359 on-base percentage and a .545 slugging percentage - Herrera has committed a series of frustrating mistakes, from running through a stop sign at third base, to getting picked off, to not running out a dropped third strike, to ignoring a sign.
Herrera often has a green light to steal bases, but Mackanin put a hold on him with two outs in the sixth inning of Saturday night's game. Herrera ignored the hold and was caught stealing while the Phils trailed, 3-2. They ended up losing, 9-2.
Herrera's transgression resulted in Mackanin's taking disciplinary action: He fined the player several hundred dollars. (It will be donated to charity.)
Herrera confirmed that he was fined.
"I understand the fine," he said in English. "I have to learn."
Herrera confirmed that he ignored Mackanin's red light in Saturday's game.
"I saw the sign," Herrera said. "I just took a chance because I saw the catcher's sign (for a breaking ball) and I thought I could make it. But the pitcher didn't throw to home, he threw to first."
Herrera acknowledged his rash of recent mistakes.
"Not concentrating," he said. "A lack of concentration. Sometimes I use too much aggressiveness, you know? I have to slow down and be smarter and just learn from things."
The Phillies signed Herrera to a five-year, $30.5 million contract over the winter. That kind of money can dull a player's edge, but Herrera insists that he's as hungry as ever.
"No, no, no," he said. "I'm not like that. I still want to play hard, still want to be aggressive. Sometimes you don't get the results that you are looking for."
