Pete Alonso Out of Saturday's Lineup as Mickey Callaway Fears Home Run Derby Fatigue
By Sean Facey
It seems as though the fears of the after effects of the Home Run Derby are alive and well inside the mind of Mickey Callaway.
The New York Mets skipper decided to hold rookie sensation Pete Alonso out of Saturday's lineup, citing concerns over possible fatigue from his derby win just over two weeks ago.
Mickey Callaway said potential Home Run Derby fatigue was a factor in choosing today as an off day for Pete Alonso.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) July 20, 2019
"He's a horse," Callaway said. "But sometimes, you've got to take it out of their hands."
Alonso is 3-for-30 with two home runs and 13 strikeouts since the break.
Callaway's concerns aren't entirely unfounded. Alonso has struggled out of the gates in the second half. He's just 3-for-30 in his last seven games, though two of those hits have gone for home runs. The power is definitely still there considering he put one into the upper deck at Target Field.
Pete Alonso still in HR Derby mode. 474 feet NUKE. @GottaBelievePod pic.twitter.com/qc0uwktews
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) July 17, 2019
It's better to play it safe, though. The 24-year-old All-Star has been one of the few bright spots for the Mets in an otherwise abysmal season. On the year, he's slashing .265/.358/.606 with 32 home runs and a 153 OPS+. He also leads the team's position players with 3.7 bWAR.
Better to not push him and risk possible injury. He stands out as a major building block for the Mets' teams of the future.