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Barnhart said Tuesday he intends to resume switch hitting this season after batting exclusively from the left side over the past two seasons, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
Barnhart's stalwart defense behind the plate and skills as a game caller were likely the main reasons why Detroit dealt for him earlier in the offseason, but the 31-year-old sounds like he'll eager to round out his game on the offensive end. Coming off two straight seasons with an OPS under .700 while hitting from the left side, Barnhart is hoping that the rededication to switch hitting will yield better results at the plate. Switch hitting may earn Barnhart some additional playing time against lefty starting pitchers, but he's still likely to do most of his damage while batting from the left side. For his career, Barnhart has produced a .722 OPS versus righties, compared to a .583 mark against lefties.
