MIAMI – There is nothing Mike Cameron can say and at this point, very little he can do. He is in a bona-fide offensive stupor, and he has no idea how to get out of it.
“I just don’t understand it,” the Met center fielder said. “I really don’t. Truly. If I had some answers for you guys, I would definitely tell you.”
Three weeks ago, Cameron was everything the Mets hoped he would be when they signed him to a three-year, $19.5 million contract. Not only was he playing Gold Glove defense, but he was hitting a respectable .255 with six homers, seven steals and 14 RBIs in 26 games.
But on May 5, Cameron strained ligaments in his right hand while sliding into home against the Giants, and his offense has not been the same since.
In his 18 games following the injury, Cameron went 6-for-59, a .102 average. Worse, he produced just one homer, one RBI and one steal.
How bad has Cameron been going? In Friday’s 2-1 loss to the Marlins, Florida intentionally walked Jason Phillips, a .212 hitter, to load the bases and face him. Cameron then struck out looking.
Before last night, Cameron was hitless in his last 14 at-bats and his average sat at .196. It was the lowest among all major leaguers with enough at-bats to qualify, and it is forcing the Mets into a tough spot. Nobody wants to take Cameron out of the lineup and lose his defense and power potential. But how much good is he doing the offense if he simply cannot hit?
Art Howe said he would consider sitting down Cameron if his struggles continue, but the manager cautioned, “I’m not at that point yet.” And Cameron is not about to request a day off.
“No, ’til [Howe] steps in and says something, my job is to try to play every day,” he said.
Still, Cameron called this “one of the toughest stretches” he’s ever had. Asked how much his ailing hand has to do with his struggles, Cameron admitted it was initially a problem, but no longer.
“I’m not really thinking about it. I’m more concerned about what am I doing in the game that’s causing me to not have some consistency day to day?” he said.
“I’ve just gotten to the point where I can’t find out what’s going on. I’ve been working on every single possible thing I could possibly do.”
The 31-year-old Cameron has never spent a day on the DL in his life and he is regarded as almost Ripken-esque when it comes to his durability. He is not one to make excuses, but he is either hurting big-time, or the timing of his struggles is a remarkable coincidence.
Actually, Cameron’s situation calls to mind Derek Jeter’s during last October’s postseason. The Yankee star would be seen after games with numerous icepacks on his body but would insist he was fine. What did Cameron say about his hand on Friday as a large icepack was wrapped around it?
“I’m fine,” he said. “Just baffled at the plate.”
Cameron insisted he does not want to go on the DL, noting, “It’s not getting worse or anything like that. I do what I’ve got to do in the training room every day and take care of it after the game is over.”
If the hand’s not the problem, what is? Cameron has no idea. He hits in the batting cage constantly. He’s working non-stop to try to remedy his ills. He just hasn’t found any answers.
For now, all he can do is keep trying to figure it out.
“I’ve got to continue to work,” he said. “I haven’t lost hope. No one here has lost faith in me, so I can’t lose faith in myself about what I’m capable of doing out there.”
Slip-sliding away
On May 5, Mike Cameron strained ligaments in his right hand while sliding into home plate against the Giants. After sitting out two games, he returned on May 8 against the Brewers, but his hitting has not been the same since. Here’s a look at Cameron’s offensive splits before and after the injury:
G AB H AVG HR RBI SB
BEFORE MAY 8 26 94 24 .255 6 14 7
AFTER MAY 8* 18 59 6 .102 1 1 1
* – Before last night.