Suarez hopes improved English, fitness means better offense, defense

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Suarez makes a point to speak to his teammates in English. He is an enthusiastic person who can be seen dancing around the clubhouse and singing along to the music on the sound system.

“I like to talk to Cozie (Zack Cozart) and (Billy) Hamilton,” he said. “I just try to speak. I don’t care if I’m wrong. I don’t like to use a translator. I just try to speak more and more and more to get better. It is very important for us Latin guys to speak English and not worry about if you’re wrong or not. I am going to spend a lot of years in the United States and you have to speak English.”

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Suarez spent the 2016 season getting the feel for third base. His next improvement will be at the plate.

The Reds acquired Suarez from the Detroit Tigers for Alfredo Simon after the 2014 season. Suarez started the season in Louisville and was called up on June 11 when Cozart suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Suarez led the Reds with 95 starts at shortstop, hitting .280 with 13 home runs. When Cozart returned from injury last spring. Suarez's bat earned him a chance to replace third baseman Todd Frazier, who was traded to the Chicago White Sox.
"Last year I changed my plans and played third base," Suarez said. "I am more comfortable playing third base than I was last year."

Suarez made 21 errors last season at third compared to 19 that he made playing shortstop the year before.

“I learned to let the ball come to me and be on time,” he said. “The ball comes to you hotter, more quickly at third base than it does at shortstop. You have to be ready.”

Suarez hit .248 last year and thinks of himself as a better hitter than that but hit 21 home runs and led the team with 11 three-hit games. He is the 10th Reds third baseman to hit 20 or more home runs and was second in the National League in games played (159).

“I know I’m a good hitter and I can hit more than that,” said Suarez, who started out the season with a .301 batting average with five home runs and 14 RBI in his first 19 games. He went into a funk, dipping to .218 on May 28 before building it back.

“When you change something in your mind, that happens,” Suarez said. ‘I tried to hard and started thinking too much. I started out one way and went the other way too much. When you think too much at home plate, you have trouble. You have to see the ball and hit the ball and see what happens.”

Notes: Rookie Davis will start for the Reds in the first Cactus League game on Friday against the San Francisco Giants in Scottsdale, Ariz. … Amir Garrett will start against the American League champion Cleveland Indians on Saturday in Goodyear.