MILWAUKEE — Newly acquired first baseman Adam Lind has made an instant impact for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2015. Lind came into Sunday’s game hitting .529 (9-for-17), tied for the franchise record for most hits through five games with the club.
“I think he can adjust to about anything,” said manager Ron Roenicke, when asked if Lind has been a good fit for the team. “I like the way he goes about his business.”
Lind has already hit in four different spots in the batting order through the first five games, but the constant shifting hasn’t shown any ill-effects on his approach at the plate.
“(Lind) is about as chill as you can get,” said Roenicke. “It’s nice when you don’t have to worry about a guy’s mental state when you move him all around. Whatever we do he’s going to be fine.”
Lind came to Milwaukee in a trade that sent right-hander Marco Estrada to the Toronto Blue Jays, filling a major positional need for the Brewers at first base. Last year’s regular starter at first was Mark Reynolds, who managed to hit just.196 over 378 at-bats.
The biggest concern for Lind coming into 2015, however, was an ailing back, which has plagued him since 2011 and was a major factor in limiting him to just 96 games with the Blue Jays in 2014. But Brewers GM Doug Melvin believes having Lind play on natural grass rather than turf will help him stay healthy this season.
If Lind can keep his back in check long enough to play 140-plus games this season, he will serve as a solidifying force in the middle of a Brewer lineup that critically faltered in September last season.