CLEARWATER, Fla. — Remember that episode of blurry vision that forced Scott Kingery to miss a couple of games at the end of last season?
Kingery went through a battery of tests and was found to be in need of a little vision correction in his right eye. He was fitted for a contact lens and spent some time this winter getting used to it. He plans to spend some more time this spring wearing it during workouts and games to see if it makes a difference.
Kingery said the issue was so slight that doctors said he really did not need the contact lens for everyday activity. But as a baseball player trying to track 95-mph fastballs and pick up the spin on big-league sliders … why not?
"I actually think it could help me at night," Kingery said. "I'll experiment with it this spring and see how it feels."
Kingery hit .258 with 18 homers and 55 RBIs last season but hit just .191 in September. He hit .247 in day games and .263 in night games. For the season, he had a .315 on-base percentage and slugged .474. His strikeout rate jumped to 29.4 percent last season, up from 26 percent in 2018. Maybe a clearer look at the ball will help.
The versatile Kingery played six positions last season. The blueprint calls for him to open the season at third base, where he played 41 games last season. Jean Segura is penciled in to move to second base, clearing shortstop for Didi Gregorius. Some have wondered why Segura wouldn't move to third so Kingery could play second base, his natural and best position. Well, Segura has never played third. He has played second and has told team officials he would be more comfortable there. However, it is likely that the Phils will take a look at Segura at third in camp, just to see if that might work.
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