Myers makes up for lost time in the D.R.

This story was excerpted from Christina De Nicola’s Marlins Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

A year ago if you had told Marlins outfielder Dane Myers that he would be driving around the Dominican Republic and navigating the grocery store on his own, he wouldn’t have believed you.

But during Myers’ second turn playing in the Caribbean nation’s winter leagues, he not only got reps on the field but also practice with his Spanish.

“Obviously they know I'm an American by how slow I probably said it, but being able just to ask, ‘Where's the milk at? Where's the bread at?’ And then respond, I remember my second or third day there I was like, ‘I'm actually catching on a little bit,’” Myers said. “Cultural aspect, just how much the whole country cares about baseball. The games are so intense and the season's so short [that] the fans are in every game. It's like, ‘What have you done for me lately?’ Every single game is do or die it feels like, so I love to be in a competitive atmosphere like that.”

The main reason Myers returned to the D.R. was to make up at-bats after missing two months because of a self-inflicted left ankle fracture. During his rehab stint, he tweaked his swing by standing a bit more upright in his starting point. Since Myers had a tendency to crash into the ball, it cut off room for his pull side. By making this adjustment, he should be able to stay in that position throughout his swing.

Returning for the final week of the regular season, however, wasn’t enough time to get feedback on it. In a sense, competing in the winter leagues is going back to the basics. Scouting reports and video aren’t as prevalent as in the Majors. So Myers could use this opportunity to work on his mechanics and his approach.

“It’s kind of focusing on what you can do and hoping for the best outcome,” Myers said. “I know I can hit for some power, and I know I can be on base a little bit more. And I think if I cut my strikeouts down, I think I can make that happen. The little mechanical change actually puts me in a better spot to make more consistent contact I feel like, so that kind of plays into cutting down the swing and miss, not missing good pitches that I get to hit early in at-bats.”

Though Myers didn’t play as much as he wanted to because of the homegrown players already there for Gigantes del Cibao, he hit .276/.400/.448 with five runs, one triple, one homer, four steals, six walks and 11 strikeouts in 35 plate appearances across parts of 11 games. He was able to get in plenty of cage work and test out his timing and setup while standing in for pitchers’ bullpens.

A minor quad issue cut short Myers’ stint by a few days in mid-December, but he is back to full-go after a planned break. Myers has been in the weight room, playing catch and doing defensive drills at his alma mater, Rice University, and hitting in the cages.

Myers, who turns 29 on March 8, purposely played in the winter leagues towards the back end of the schedule so that it would feel like an early Spring Training. He didn’t want to go three months between the final day of the regular season and big league camp.

Unlike a year ago, the circumstances are a bit different for Myers and the Marlins. Despite an impressive showing last spring, Myers was blocked by offseason acquisitions Vidal Bruján and Nick Gordon -- both of whom had no Minor League options remaining and are no longer with the club -- for a bench spot. The way the 40-man roster is constructed, Myers and Derek Hill are the primary center-field options with MLB experience.

“Last year it was a feeling of almost just kind of whatever they needed me as, kind of whatever to help the team win,” Myers said. “Obviously, that's still the case, but I want to play a big role wherever in the lineup or wherever in the field. I think I can compete and can contribute a lot more than I did last year.

“Last year I was basically competing to, like I said, get on the team, and this year is basically competing to try and win an everyday job if that's what they're thinking as well. So it's a little bit different. But my mindset doesn't really change. I don't want to put too much pressure on myself to put up results in Spring Training, because Spring Training is still a time for you to get ready for the long season.”