Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Baez looks lost at the moment.
He used to be one of the most dynamic players in the league, one capable of hitting 30 homers and stealing 20 bases while playing excellent defense at a key position.
Above all things, he made few, if any, baserunning mistakes.
But his head seems to be somewhere else, and his offensive struggles might be affecting the rest of his game.
He had a rough mistake on Thursday night.
“Javier Baez was pulled from the game after a baserunning mistake led to a double play to end the inning,” FOX Sports MLB tweeted, with a video of the play.
Javier Baez was pulled from the game after a baserunning mistake led to a double play to end the inning.
(via @Sportsnet)pic.twitter.com/JfzCVEn7dx
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) April 14, 2023
He was at second base, and there was one out in the inning.
The batter hit a routine fly ball to center field, but Baez went to third without tagging second base first.
He wasn’t trying to take the extra base by waiting for the fielder to catch the ball and then advancing to third.
No, that wasn’t the case because he took off to third base on contact.
What happened is that he forgot there was one out, and must have thought there were two.
The result of the play was the center fielder throwing the ball to second base and the umpire calling the out, ending the inning on a double play.
Baez looked extremely disappointed and confused, and Detroit manager A.J. Hinch had no choice but to pull him out of the game.
It has been that kind of year for Baez.
His OPS is at .328, and it was at .671 last year.
He is a liability at the plate, and he is now letting his struggles affect his baserunning, too.
It was a rare lack of focus, but it was definitely tough to watch.
NEXT: Javy Baez Appears To Have Lost His Abilities