PHOENIX — One day earlier this month, manager Clint Hurdle moseyed over to Gregory Polanco’s locker in the clubhouse and jabbed at the Pirates cleanup hitter with a little humor.
“OK, is today the day?” Hurdle asked. “Is today the day we light the pilot light?”
At that point, Polanco had no home runs and four RBIs. He was in the middle of an 0-for-12 skid at the plate, and his batting average and OPS hovered just above .220 and .610, respectively. In their conversations, Hurdle said, he prodded to see whether the lack of power and run production were bothering Polanco, who had 22 home runs and 86 RBIs in 2016.