Shelton: Davis' adjustment period gives him more freedom

Henry Davis had a bit of a renaissance period during his stint in Class AAA Indianapolis.

At the least, that is what Derek Shelton and the Pirates are banking on.

Davis is back with the Pirates after spending one month and one day refining his approach at the plate. He has given Shelton and the Pirates the results they have sought, which prompted another run in the majors beginning Tuesday.

"I think the adjustments he made," Shelton said before Tuesday's first pitch. "Obviously we had the opportunity last week, we thought he needed a little bit more time, bust just the overall adjustments he's made, the commitment he made to it. I think you're gonna see a setup that's very similar to what we saw last year, an approach that we saw last year. I  really feel confident in the fact that we sent him down with a solid message and he bought into it and did a really good job."

Davis hit .296 with seven home runs, 17 RBIs and a 1.078 OPS in 23 games with Indianapolis. He held a seven-game hitting streak and hit safely in 12 of his last 15 games before being called back up. During his seven-game hitting streak in between May 17 and May 24, Davis hit .407 (11-for-27) with two multi-homer games and 10 total RBIs.

"I think (the adjustments have) allowed him to have the freedom to get the barrel where it needs to be," Shelton said. "I think we saw him tied up a little bit more than he wanted to be, than we wanted him to be. Now he just looks more like the Henry Davis we drafted and the guy that came through the minor leagues and into the big leagues last year."

The 2023 version of Davis that Shelton is referring to hit .213 with a .302 on-base percentage, seven home runs and 24 RBIs in 62 games as a Pirate. He spent 55 games in between Class AA Altoona and Indianapolis, where he hit a collective .306 with a .454 on-base, 12 homers and 32 RBIs.

Among other moves the Pirates made Tuesday, catcher Grant Koch was designated for assignment to make room for Davis. Shelton said he wants to see Davis continue his progression with his at-bats in Pittsburgh.

"Just continue to have consistent at-bats and swing at the right pitches," Shelton said. "I think he got to the point, especially near the end of the time that he was up here, that he was pressing a little bit. We needed to give him a little bit of a refresh to go down and have some success and he did that. He deserves to be back up here."