Mariners rookie second baseman Nick Franklin returned to the starting lineup Tuesday against the Blue Jays after sitting two games. Unfortunately, the days off didn't help snap Franklin's hitting woes.
Franklin went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts and is now hitless in his last five games (24 at-bats).
"You hope he comes right out of it, but you stick with him," Mariners acting manager Robby Thompson said, per The Seattle Times. "That’s part of the growing pains of a young player coming up is learning how to deal with the failure of it. You go into slumps, and you’ve got to fight your way out of it. This is where he’s got to maintain and keep grinding it out and stay positive.
"He’ll get it back soon. Until then, if he’s not getting hits, he should be out there taking hits away, or try to, anyway. You can’t just throw in the towel, which he’s not. But you still have to play the game. He’ll fight his way out of it."