Padres' Austin Hedges: Enters 2018 with modified swing

Hedges worked with assistant hitting coach Johnny Washington during the offseason to adjust his swing, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

The defensive whiz struggled a bit at the plate last year, posting just a .214 batting average. Given that, it's not surprising his primary focus this winter was hitting. Reports say he hasn't removed the leg kick from his swing, so the alterations hopefully won't sap the power that helped him hit 18 homers in 2017. The new plate approach is geared more toward making contact and having better patience, although the new swing hasn't actually been seen yet. The fantasy implications of this adjustment should become apparent once Hedges employs his new swing in Cactus League action.