Gavin Sheets was out of the lineup again on Monday against the Diamondbacks, a move that suggested his extended slump may be starting to cost him regular playing time.
It was the fourth time in five games that Gavin Sheets has been on the bench, and the pattern has become hard to ignore. Before Monday, he had already been out of the lineup three times in the previous four games, with those absences coming against both right-handed and left-handed pitchers.
A slump that is affecting his role
Over his last 20 games, Sheets has slashed.120/.281/.120 with no extra-base hits. That kind of production is usually enough to put a player's place in the lineup under pressure, especially when the club is trying to find more reliable offense.
The key point here is not just the batting line, but the repetition of the absences. When a player is sitting against different types of pitching, it often points to a broader concern than one bad matchup. In Sheets' case, the recent trend suggests the Padres are looking for a way to manage him while he works through the slump.
What happens next?
The question now is whether Sheets can force his way back into the lineup by showing more consistency at the plate. Until that happens, his recent run of missed games points to a role that is shrinking rather than settling.
