CHICAGO — Frustration would be a natural feeling for Geovany Soto these days, although the Cubs catcher is doing his best not to give in to it.
"This game's really hard," Soto said. "If I get frustrated, I'm just saying the game won. I've just got to keep on playing, keep on grinding it out and see what happens."
Soto was the National League Rookie of the Year in 2008, but his offensive production has taken a nosedive this season. Fighting against high expectations, injury problems and some bad luck, he has a .218 batting average, .705 on-base plus slugging percentage and nine home runs heading into Thursday's game against Washington.
Soto has batted .150 since he was activated Aug. 7 from a nearly month-long stint on the disabled list, and manager Lou Piniella has started backup Koyie Hill in six of the past 13 games.
"We felt that the numbers he put up last year were repeatable," Piniella said. "He's had his share of adversity. I think he's handled it as well as possible. I'm sure he would like to be swinging the bat better, but he works. He works with our hitting coach and hopefully here in the last four or five weeks of the season, he can put on a really, really good spurt, because he's better than the .220 or so hitter [he's been]."
Soto also feels he is better than his batting average indicates, and a closer look at his statistics backs up his assertion.
His batting average on balls in play — any ball he hits fair that doesn't go for a home run — is .251, one of the lowest marks in baseball for a player with as many plate appearances as Soto. It's also more than 80 points worse than his mark last season, even though his percentages of ground balls, fly balls and line drives have stayed relatively stable.
Soto pointed to the Cubs' game against the Dodgers on Aug. 22. Before he ripped a single in his final at-bat, Soto lined out hard to second and hit two deep fly balls that Dodgers outfielders tracked down.
"I actually feel great," he said. "Unfortunately it hasn't been working out and I haven't been having the success I'd like to. I don't feel lost or anything, but right now it's not happening."
Although his power numbers are down considerably, Soto has walked at a higher rate and struck out at a lower rate than he did as a rookie. This serves as a sign that he could return to the form he showed in 2008 and seemed to have recaptured when he hit five home runs in the 20 games before straining his oblique July 11.
Soto has 38 games left in which to produce and solidify his place in the lineup heading into 2010.
"I've got to go out there and put up numbers," he said. "If I want to play every day or [get] more time, I need to do a better job of hitting the ball. Hopefully it'll turn around here."