Robinson Cano's trying year: Lingering illness, grandfather's death test him

Jorge L. Ortiz | USA TODAY

OAKLAND – Robinson Cano hasn't made any plans for the midseason break. Normally they would be made for him, as he has earned invites to the All-Star Game each of the last five seasons. But this has been far from a normal year for the Seattle Mariners second baseman, on and off the field.

Cano is enduring by far his worst offensive season, with numbers previously unfathomable for the career .307 hitter. Even with an 8-for-20 surge in July, Cano is lugging a .248 batting average with a mere five homers and 27 RBI. His on-base plus slugging percentage mark of .652 is nearly 200 points below his career norm of .847, and just about all his hitting numbers have dwindled.

The stunning drop-off comes on the heels of Cano's highly successful first season in Seattle after signing a 10-year, $240 million contract as a free agent. He finished fifth in the American League MVP voting, fueled the Mariners' 16-game improvement and helped raise hopes they would end their 13-year playoff drought this season. The Mariners were a fashionable preseason pick to win the AL West, and instead languish in fourth place at 38-44.

Cano bears much of the burden for that disappointment, and he's carrying it while dealing with physical and emotional issues that likely have affected his play.

In a Spanish-language conversation with USA Today Sports, Cano provided some previously undisclosed details about a stomach ailment that has sapped his energy. He also spoke of the impact of losing his paternal grandfather, Ovidio, who died of lung cancer in March, calling him, "like a second father to me.''

Cano, 32, said he was especially reluctant to talk about the stomach problem because it might be perceived as making excuses for his poor performance. Nobody likes to hear excuses from a player earning $24 million a year.

If nothing else, though, his revelation sheds light on the challenges that come with playing at the elite level Cano established for the majority of his previous 10 seasons.

"When things go well, people like everything you do,'' Cano said. "When things don't go well, people look for 1,001 explanations, and they don't understand you're a human being.''

Cano was in the midst of his sixth All-Star season last year when he started experiencing stomach discomfort in August. With the Mariners in the playoff chase, he didn't get it checked until their season was over, in October. Cano said he was told he had a common parasite, which was treated with antibiotics, but he was left with acid reflux to this day.

"It still affects me,'' Cano said. "Sometimes you drink water and it makes you feel like vomiting. I can't eat the same way I did. It's hard to deal with, especially being the first time this has happened to me. Sometimes I eat only once a day before playing, because I feel full. And you just don't have the same energy.''

According to Web MD, acid reflux occurs when the valve at the entrance to the stomach doesn't close properly, allowing gastric acid to creep up into the esophagus, producing heartburn and a feeling of being bloated. In 2010, New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner – Cano's teammate at the time – was hospitalized and missed a game because of acid reflux.

An avid seafood eater, Cano has eliminated red meat from his menu because it takes long to digest, and the acid reflux delays the digestive process. Despite diet changes and medication, the condition persists.

"Sometimes I play without any strength or energy, but you have to play, give the best of yourself,'' Cano said. "Some people may say, 'Cano, he's listless.' But (the energy) is not the same.''

Even the game's top players are not immune to slumps, and Cano's seems to have been exacerbated by expanding his strike zone. While Cano contends he has not being pressing at the plate, the numbers paint a different picture. His strikeout rate is up from 12% for his career to 17.5% this season, while his walk rate has dipped from 6.3 to 5.

Cano has also run into some bad luck, as his batting average on balls in play (BABIP) is down to .291, more than 30 points below his career mark of .322.

"He hit a lot of balls extremely hard (that were caught), and then he had some at-bats where he really expanded and chased out of the zone,'' manager Lloyd McClendon said. "You don't see that as much the last 10-12 games. He's starting to drive the ball to the opposite field. He hit a home run in San Diego. I think he's starting to come around.''

Ovidio Cano would be the first one to notice his grandson's offensive fluctuations, keeping a notebook with his stats from every game. After his passing, the younger Cano retained the notebook as a memento, but he no longer has that emotional support.

"He was my No. 1 fan,'' Cano said. "If he were alive now, he would call me and say, 'Hey, what's going on? Last year you had better numbers. What's happening? Are you OK?'''

Teammate and longtime friend Nelson Cruz believes he will be. Cruz, enjoying a banner season hitting behind Cano, points out veteran players have a reservoir of experience to rely on when times are hard, and he expects Cano to have a big second half.

However, Cruz also noted that factors beyond the game often come into play.

"They are things in your personal life that have an impact,'' Cruz said, "and even though you may not want to, they can affect your game.''

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