Matt Joyce still confident that a turnaround will come
It's nearly July, and Matt Joyce is hitting .185/.273/.313 with just four home runs and 18 RBIs in 65 games this season (and 195 at-bats).
He's hardly having the kind of start that he or the Los Angeles Angels would have preferred, especially when they (at first, at least) hoped he'd be an adequate fill-in for Josh Hamilton in left field.
Joyce recently opened up to Pedro Moura of the O.C. Register about his ongoing woes, and indicated that he's still quite confident that the tide will turn for him at the plate. Said Joyce about his recent bouts with inconsistent playing time: "That’s the thing: You feel good one day. You come in the next day and you’re not starting. When you’re talking about 15 at-bats that are spread out, I think it’s hard to really be consistent. But as far as staying in the strike zone, I think I’ve done a little bit better job of that, and I think that’s something that in the past has been my strength. For me to be successful, I have to do it."
This far into the season, with the Halos still hovering around the .500 mark and being unable to break out into a consistent run, Joyce's continued lack of success could be hampering the offense. Because of that, he told Moura, he realizes the situation he's in and how important it is for him to get going: “I’m at a point now where my back’s against the wall, and I have something to prove. I’ve been successful at this level. I know that I can do it. It’s just a matter of getting the opportunities. Sometimes all it takes is just one good day, and then you take that and ride with it."
The Angels would be happy to 'ride with' a hot-hitting Joyce, if one materializes soon.
