Schoop hot, but 'not thinking' about ASG
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ANAHEIM -- Jonathan Schoop has had as strong a month of June as a player could ask for.
Schoop, who has spent time at first base, second base and as designated hitter this season, hit .377/.424/.811 in his first 53 at-bats with six home runs coming into Thursday’s series opener against the Angels.
The standout month has been part of a season turnaround for the veteran, following a slow start to the campaign.
Schoop finished April hitting just .198 across 81 at-bats, but has since brought it up to a .272 mark midway through June. He's also hit a team-leading 11 home runs and driven in 32 runs.
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said the showing from the versatile infielder has created an easy choice when filling out his lineup card each day.
“When Schoop gets going the way he has for the last month, I want to get him as many at-bats as I can,” Hinch said.
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Amid the hot month, Schoop has moved up the offensive ranks for American League first basemen, entering Thursday within the top 10 of most major categories including home runs, RBIs, batting average and OPS.
Despite his hot stretch, Schoop said that a bid to get selected to play in the All-Star Game at Coors Field in July is not something he's too preoccupied with at the moment.
“I'm not thinking about that kind of stuff,” Schoop said. “I'm just thinking about things I could control. About personal goals, [they're] always a good thing to achieve. The main thing is trying to win with the team or trying to go to playoffs or trying to get a win.”
Schoop has one All-Star selection in big league career, which came in 2017 as a second baseman with the Orioles.
He noted that the desire for individual recognition -- and the instance of falling short of such accolades -- is one that he doesn't let affect him on the field.
“But sometimes your personal goal to achieve [something] like the All-Star [selection], that's a good thing, but you don't have to worry about it too much,” he said. “If it happens, it's really good, and if it [doesn’t] you've got to keep moving forward.”