Rays' Joey Wendle: Consistency helping roster bid
Wendle, who's hitting .353 over 38 spring plate appearances, continues to push for a left-handed platoon role at second base with his consistency at the plate, Bill Chastain of MLB.com reports.
Already a proven performer at the Triple-A level for multiple seasons while with the Athletics organization, Wendle was a December acquisition that flew somewhat under the radar, but that had the air of a possible steal for the Rays. Wendle's resume includes 58 home runs and 327 RBI over a 641-game minor-league career, and he's been able to produce with both the bat and glove at every stop that he's spent an appreciable amount of time in. That's carried over to his first spring in Tampa, where manager Kevin Cash has taken note of how well-rounded and consistent the 27-year-old's game is. "I think our guys got it right when we acquired him," Cash said. "They said he's a very consistent player, solid defender, and gets his hits. He's quietly had a pretty good spring at the plate. Seems like he's getting a hit a day. Just very steady. And sometimes you don't want to see surprising, you just want to see consistency, and that's what he's shown."