MIAMI – Chicago Cubs batting consultant Manny Ramirez meant it in a playful way, but anyone that’s watched shortstop Starlin Castro over the last month knows where Ramirez is coming from.

“I mess around with Starlin, Ramirez said before the Cubs played the Marlins on Monday. “‘Don’t be afraid to hit a double. Don’t be afraid to hit an extra-base hit. Are they going to fine you?’”

Castro had three doubles and one home run in May. That’s all the extra base hits he had for the month despite playing in every game. Needless to say, he’s in a slump.

Starlin Castro only had four extra-base hits during the month of May, as he's struggled with teams pitching him outside. Matt Kartozian/USA TODAY Sports

“I asked him to back off a little, just go play and have a good time,” manager Joe Maddon said of moving Castro to sixth in the order. “That’s exactly what I told him.”

Castro is not making the kind of contact he’s used to. In May he hit ground ball after ground ball to the left side of the infield. A few got through for a base hit, but not enough. Sixty percent of his contact was on the ground. Maddon rightly pointed out that Derek Jeter hit a lot of ground balls, but it's their location and how hard they were hit that makes the difference.

“If it’s through the middle, opposite field, it’s probably beneficial,” Maddon said. “It depends on where the ground balls are being hit ... I think it’s manifesting itself in pulling off the ball a little bit.”

Ramirez agrees. Castro is in a mechanical funk as much as a mental one.

“Everyone is pitching him middle-away,” Ramirez said. “Sometimes he opens too quick.”

It’s basically the same assessment Ramirez has for Jorge Soler. Soler is also slumping, especially with men on-base.

“You have good talent, but it’s about making adjustments,” Ramirez told him. “Every team is going to pitch you different. They’re pitching him away.”

Until Castro and Soler adjust to the outside pitch -- especially the slider -- teams will keep pounding it there looking for the strike out or easy ground out. Ramirez is preaching patience.

“All we have to do is be patient because I know they have an awesome team,” Ramirez said.

More Ramirez: Ramirez lives in Miami and will spend time with the team this week. He stopped short of saying he was retired, as he wants to play winter ball in the Dominican Republic again. But he’s enjoying his time as coach without any immediate plans for the future.

“I got used to what I’m doing,” Ramirez said.

Ramirez spends his time messing around as if he’s still one of the guys. That’s because the Cubs treat him as if he is.

But while the players all gravitate towards him, Ramirez is mindful who the Cubs hitting coaches are. He makes sure to include them in any advice he gives.

“When I see something, I go right to them because I respect what they do,” Ramirez said of John Mallee and Eric Hinske.

Ramirez had high praise for Kris Bryant and Addison Russell, having seen and worked with them since last year.

“Bryant is a special player,” Ramirez said. “He takes the ball inside and waits for his ball middle-away. You watch Bryant in batting practice he’s hitting middle away. Then the last round he shoots it all over the place. So obviously he has a plan.”

On Russell: “He’s awesome,” Ramirez said. “What I like about Russell, every time he comes to the park he knows what he wants. He’s focused on what he wants and he goes and does it.”

Ramirez ends with one prediction which could be huge for the Cubs if it comes true. They’ll need it.

“I’m pretty sure the second half [Soler] is going to do way better,” he said. “He’s getting to know the pitcher.”