Lind aims to regain form during stretch with 51s

Adam Lind saw it coming.

He wasn't hitting, and the bottom line was the Toronto Blue Jays weren't paying him $5 million to hit .172. So when the Jays optioned the first baseman to Las Vegas last week, Lind understood.

"I think it was time," Lind said Tuesday at Cashman Field before going 2-for-3 in the 51s' 10-3 win over the Nashville Sounds. "I wasn't having positive at-bats up there. A lot of bad things were happening."

Lind, 28, said the more he tinkered with his swing, the more he struggled. It got to the point where he needed a change of scenery.

"Things kinda snowballed," he said. "I tried everything, but nothing seemed to work."

So the Blue Jays shipped him to the desert. It was reported Toronto had put Lind on outright waivers, but the reality was Lind was optioned to the 51s. He remains property of the Blue Jays and said he hopes to be back in Toronto soon.

"My dream has always been to stay with one team my entire career," he said. "I hope this is just temporary."

If he hits, Lind will be back. It's that simple. And in the brief time Lind has been in Las Vegas, he has taken a simplistic approach at the plate. Instead of trying to hit everything out of the park, Lind is focused on making solid contract and driving the ball.

Lind hit 35 home runs and won the American League Silver Slugger Award in 2009 and had 26 homers last year in Toronto.

"I just want to get my rhythm back and drive the ball with confidence," said Lind, who is 5-for-10 with one home run in three games with the 51s. "I know I can still hit. I've just got to get the groove back."

Las Vegas manager Marty Brown has seen this before. And he knows Lind can find his way back to the majors if he stays patient.

"It's not something that happens overnight," Brown said. "It's going to be a process. We've only had him a few days, so we're trying to put him in situations where he trusts us."

Brown said getting Lind to relax is the key to rediscovering his swing.

"Nice and slow," Brown said of the mantra he and hitting coach Chad Mottola are preaching to Lind. "We want him to take good swings when he's up and make good contact."

Lind said the biggest adjustment might be the weather. The Blue Jays play in a climate-controlled environment at home, and the Muncie, Ind., native isn't used to dealing with triple-digit temperatures in May. Nor is he used to wearing a cap with an alien on it.

"The heat is definitely different," he said while trying to cool off underneath a fan in the 51s' dugout. "This may take some getting used to."

And the hat?

"It's kinda cool," he said. "But I never expected to be wearing one of these."

Then again, he wasn't planning on hitting .172, either.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.