by Al Melchior | Data Analyst (5/15/2013) With a .216 batting average and just two doubles, Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy has been a major letdown in Fantasy through the first month and a half. It hasn't helped that he is hitless on the 34 flyballs that he has put in play (excluding homers) so far this season.
Last year, Lucroy got 23 of his 33 extra-base hits either up the middle or to the opposite field, and that's where he has hit most of his deepest flies this season, as shown on the spray charts on TexasLeaguers.com. It's only a matter of time before he finds the gaps and hits a few more balls over the wall. And don't worry about Lucroy making contact; he is striking out at a lower rate this season than last.
Lucroy is currently starting in only 59 percent of the leagues on CBSSports.com, but given that he could bust out at any time, more owners should be getting him into their lineups.
Jonathan Lucroy gets a breather
by Chris Cwik | CBSSports.com (5/14/2013) Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy is not in the team's starting lineup Tuesday against the Pirates.
Lucroy will receive a normal day of rest, and should return Wednesday. He'll be replaced by Martin Maldonado, who will bat eighth. Lucroy has struggled this season, and is hitting .216/.264/.333 in 111 at-bats.
Don't give up on Jonathan Lucroy
by Chris Towers | CBSSports.com (5/10/2013) Arguably the biggest factor contributing to Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy's slow start this season has been his inability to handle left-handed pitching. Entering the season, Lucroy has consistently been more productive against southpaws in his career, but that has not been the case so far. Can he turn that around?
In his previous three seasons, Lucroy hit nearly half of his home runs against lefties, despite having fewer than 25 percent of his plate appearances against them. That trend has flipped so far this season, as he has yet to hit a home run in 33 at bats, with a .273 batting average and .617 on-base percentage. Given his history as a lefty-masher, Lucroy stands a good chance of turning things around, and Week 7 (May 13-19) could be his best chance.
In his Hit Parade column for Week 7, Scott White notes that Lucroy and the Brewers face four left-handed pitchers during the course of the week, making him a decent bet for solid production. His track record leads us to believe his current level of production is not representative of his skillset. He stands a good chance of looking more like himself in Week 7 than he has.
Slow start to May for Jonathan Lucroy
by R.J. White | CBSSports.com (5/9/2013) Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy has gotten off to a slow start in May, hitting just .176/.167/.176 in 18 plate appearances. He has also grounded into a double play in each of his last two games.
The slump has lowered Lucroy's line to .224/.271/.357 in 107 plate appearances this year, a far cry from his .320/.368/.513 line in 346 plate appearances last season.
The Brewers start a 10-game road trip Friday when they face the Reds.
Jonathan Lucroy gets another day off
by Adam Moore | CBSSports.com (5/4/2013) After seeing catcher Jonathan Lucroyget frustrated at the plate Friday night, Brewers manager Ron Roenicke decided to give him another day off Saturday. Lucroy went 0 for 3 Friday night, dropping his average to .225.
"I thought the first two at-bats [Friday] were very good, but when I see frustration in a guy and I think that he could use a day off, then I'm fine giving him a day when it makes sense," Roenicke told MLB.com. "You don't want a guy to be frustrated."
However, Lucroy was used as a pinch hitter during Saturday's tilt and roped a two-run single in his lone at-bat, raising his average to .233.
Jonathan Lucroy not in Thursday's lineup
by Chris Cwik | CBSSports.com (5/2/2013) Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy is not in the team's lineup Thursday.
Lucroy will be given a normal day off, and should return to the club's lineup Friday. Martin Maldonado will get the start with Lucroy on the bench.
Jonathan Lucroy swipes first base
by Ed Gauna | CBSSports.com (5/1/2013) Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy stole his first base in Wednesday's series finale against the Pirates. He singled in his first at-bat and swiped second off Michael McKenry.
Lucroy, who finished 1 for 4 in the 6-4 loss, is batting .235 with three home runs and 13 RBI.
Jonathan Lucroy moved to cleanup spot
by Ed Gauna | CBSSports.com (4/22/2013) Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy was moved up to fourth in the batting order for Monday's series opener against the Padres. It was his second time batting cleanup.
Lucroy, who has mostly batted fifth thus far, is hitting .259 with three homers and 10 RBI.
Jonathan Lucroy gets rest day Sunday
by Jack Moore | CBSSports.com (4/21/2013) Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy is out of the lineup Sunday, MLB.com reports.
Lucroy has played 15 and started 13 of the Brewers' 16 games so far. The Brewers have a third catcher on the roster in Blake Lalli, so it wouldn't be surprising to see Lucroy get a pinch-hitting opportunity later in the game.
Lucroy hit his third home run Saturday night and is hitting .259/.305/.463 (103 OPS+).
Jonathan Lucroy hits third home run of week
by R.J. White | CBSSports.com (4/20/2013) Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy connected for his third home run of the week Saturday and extended his hitting streak to six games with a 1-for-4 performance. Lucroy also scored two runs in the 5-1 win.
Jonathan Lucroy far removed from slump
by Michael Hurcomb | CBSSports.com (4/18/2013) Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy parked his second home run Thursday against the Giants -- a two-run shot off starter Matt Cain. It was Lucroy's lone hit in four at-bats.
After opening the year in a 0-for-13 slump in his first four games, Lucroy is batting .353 (12 for 34) with two home runs and seven RBI in his last nine games.
Jonathan Lucroy clubs first home run
by Igor Mello | CBSSports.com (4/14/2013) Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy enjoyed his first extra-base hit of the season -- a solo home run -- during Sunday's series finale against the Cardinals.
Lucroy took reliever Fernando Salas deep in the 10th inning to give the Brewers a 4-3 victory. He finished 3 for 5 with a run scored and an RBI.
Lucroy is hitting .229/.300/.314 with a home run and four RBI through 35 at-bats.
Jonathan Lucroy looking for first extra-base hit
by R.J. White | CBSSports.com (4/11/2013) Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy had 33 extra-base hits during a breakout 2012 season, but his five hits in 2013 have all been singles.
Lucroy has struggled in the early-going, hitting just .185/.281/.185 in 32 plate appearances. He'll look to get on track in the Brewers' weekend series against the Cardinals in St. Louis. He hit .300/.323/.333 in 31 plate appearances against the Cardinals last season.
Jonathan Lucroy finally gets on the board
by R.J. White | CBSSports.com (4/6/2013) Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy ended a streak of four hitless games to open the year by going 2 for 4 in his team's 9-2 loss to the Diamondbacks Saturday night. He entered the game 0 for 13 with one RBI and four strikeouts.
Lucroy will look to put his slow start behind him as he shoots for a season comparable to last year's .320/.368/.513 line.
Jonathan Lucroy putting the ball in play
by R.J. White | CBSSports.com (3/28/2013) Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy delivered an odd site in Thursdays' game against the Rockies: a plate appearance that ended without the ball in play. Lucroy struck out for just the third time in 41 at-bats, and with the Milwaukee catcher not posting any walks this spring, he has managed to put the ball in play over 90 percent of the time. It hearkens back to Lucroy's breakout spring-training performance in 2012, when he had 26 hits in 55 at-bats but just four strikeouts and one walk all spring.
Lucroy suited for more work
by Bill Passonno | CBSSports.com (3/12/2013) A bizarre injury seems to have defined Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy's 2012 season when he was sidelined nearly two months with a broken hand after a suitcase unfortunately landed on it in late May. But hidden in his rough campaign was a strong .320 batting average that would have ranked second among all catchers in the majors had he earned the qualified number of at-bats. Lucroy also matched a career high with 12 home runs in 40 fewer games than when he initially reached that mark during the 2011 campaign.
