"There's always that need of change when things aren't working out,” Lee said. “As you guys know, in the past, it wasn't great. Recently, it's been a little better. It's exactly what Bob said. I'm trying to switch up the little things in the cage, during practice and getting ready before the game. It's more about contact and trying to get the ball over to the [opposite] field and trying to make everything work out well."
Lee doesn’t typically produce eye-popping exit velocities and ranks in the 11th percentile with a 30.8% hard-hit rate this year, but he squares the ball up consistently and ranks in the 94th percentile with a 10.4 strikeout rate, which speaks to his elite bat-to-ball skills. The Giants have recently experimented with flashing more hit-and-run signs to try to get Lee back into more of a contact-oriented mindset and take better advantage of his skillset.
“It’s crazy, because every time the hit-and-run sign was on, I actually got a hit off the pitcher,” Lee said after Sunday’s game.
Lee missed most of his rookie season for the Giants after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder last May, but he was also limited to 86 games for the KBO’s Kiwoom Heroes in 2023 due to an ankle injury. Melvin said he plans to give Lee more days off down the stretch to help combat any fatigue that he may be dealing with in his first full season in the big leagues.
The Giants should have an easier time resting Lee after recalling Grant McCray from Triple-A Sacramento, though Lee is still bummed about having to say goodbye to his close friend Mike Yastrzemski, who was dealt to the Royals at the Trade Deadline last week.
“I heard the news right before I was going to dinner,” Lee said. “I’m not going to lie, I did break down a little bit because Yaz was a really good friend. We texted each other a lot. I sent over a lot of long text messages. I hope for the best for Yaz from now on.”
