Marlins hope day off for Brian Anderson could snap third baseman’s career-worst slump

The follow up to his impressive rookie season hasn’t gone the way Brian Anderson hoped. After leading all National League rookies in hits and doubles in 2018, Anderson is off to a brutal start to 2019. The slugging third baseman enters Wednesday against the Cincinnati Reds batting just .143 with a .167 slugging percentage.

The Miami Marlins are hoping to get their top hitter back on track as quickly as possible. Don Mattingly hopes a day off for Anderson in Cincinnati could be a remedy.

“Just a day to watch, as much as anything,” the manager said. “That’s what I told him. I just wanted him to watch a game today.”

Anderson, who started the Marlins’ first 11 games at third base, is out of the lineup for Miami’s 6:40 p.m. game against the Reds in Cincinnati. Corner infielder Martin Prado is in Anderson’s usual spot at third, making his first appearance at his old position this season.

Anderson’s slow start is particularly disappointing given the expectations he brought into his second full season. The 25-year-old was excellent throughout spring training, batting .354 with two home runs and a 1.081 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. The Marlins (3-8) batted him either second or third in each of their first 11 games despite him starting the season 1 for 15.

Anderson started to show signs of progress this month, opening April with a four-game hitting streak before running into trouble again during Miami’s three-game series against the Atlanta Braves. Anderson went hitless in Miami’s last two games against the Braves, then went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts in the Marlins’ series-opening 14-0 loss to the Reds (2-8) on Tuesday at Great American Ball Park. He’s now just 6 for 42 this season and hitless in 12 straight at-bats. Anderson has never had a slump like his season-engulfing cold spell.

While Mattingly said Anderson is still available as a pinch-hitter, the manager hopes a lighter day could help Anderson snap out of his funk.

“Watching a game sometimes will help you,” Mattingly said. “I know he’s trying hard, probably trying too hard, putting a lot of pressure on himself, so I just wanted him to basically be able to watch a game.”

Here are full lineups for Wednesday at GABP:

Miami Marlins

Curtis Granderson, LF

Miguel Rojas, SS

Neil Walker, 1B

Starlin Castro, 2B

Jorge Alfaro, C

Lewis Brinson, CF

Martin Prado, 3B

Peter O’Brien, RF

Trevor Richards, SP

Cincinnati Reds

Jesse Winker, RF

Joey Votto, 1B

Matt Kemp, LF

Eugenio Suarez, 3B

Scott Schebler, CF

Derek Dietrich, 2B

Tucker Barnhart, C

Jose Iglesias, SS

Tyler Mahle, SP