How long will Marlins OF Lewis Brinson sit?

After a start to the 2019 MLB season that neither Lewis Brinson or the Miami Marlins expected, the centerfielder may take a few days off to regroup and find his rhythm once again.

The start of the 2019 MLB season was not exactly how the Miami Marlins or Lewis Brinson expected things to go.

After a spring that displayed power and more patience at the plate, the starting centerfielder has struggled early on this season. As the Marlins prepare to face the Washington Nationals starting Friday, it is Brinson who may be watching from the dugout, taking time to regroup and ready himself for the remainder of the season.

Marlins manager Don Mattingly gave Brinson the night off on Wednesday, going with Isaac Galloway in the lineup hoping for a spark at the plate. The Marlins suffer another shut out loss to the Chicago Cubs, but the time away from the game may be what Lewis Brinson needs to regroup.

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The reality of the Marlins right now is this team needs a reset. There are no mulligans in baseball, but if there was ever in the need for one, Miami would be the blueprint for such a situation.

Brinson came over to the Marlins in the deal that sent Christian Yelich to the Milwaukee Brewers last year. It was a homecoming expected to provide hope for a group of neophytes struggling to play on the major-league level.

How long Brinson remains out of the lineup isn’t known, but Mattingly said it might be more than just a game that he sits and waits.

“It may be a couple [of days],” Mattingly said. “He’s really struggling, looking at some of the stuff. We’re doing some stuff with him, working on seeing the baseball a little better, and knowing exactly what to do up there, and then we’ll get it going again.”

There were questions about Brinson playing every day for the Marlins before the start of Spring Training. A poor 2018 that was cut short because of injury and a .199 batting average for the season led to whispers that maybe he wasn’t ready for the big stage, that he still needed time perfecting his game in the minors.

Mattingly himself said the outfield positions in Spring Training were open, which meant Brinson and his teammates were all competing for the same goal. Brinson dazzled for the majority of March, hitting the ball better, working the count at the plate and still displayed solid defense in the outfield.

Then the regular season started and what looked to be a promising 2019 has been put on hold.

As Joe Frisaro of MLB.com pointed out, “In 18 games, Brinson’s slash line is .197/.246/.262 (12-for-61) with 20 strikeouts and two walks. In his last seven games, he is 1-for-21. Brinson pinch-hit Wednesday night and struck out in the sixth inning against Cole Hamels.”

Lewis Brinson could still turn things around and display the skills he showed while in the Brewers farm system. The organization still has high hopes for the 24-year-old, who is still getting his feet wet in the Majors.