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Mejia is trying out a new stance behind the plate in an effort to improve defensively, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
In the adjusted stance, Mejia kneels rather than squats. The Padres hope the change will enable Mejia to better frame and block pitches as he ranked among the worst backstops in baseball in multiple defensive metrics last season. In spite of his offensive potential, the team has not committed to making Mejia their unchallenged starter at catcher thanks largely to his poor glovework and the exceptional defense of fellow backstop Austin Hedges. The pair figure to fall into some sort of timeshare this season, but if Mejia can show adequate progress behind the plate, he could lock up the lion's share of playing time before long.
