Recommendation: According to the report, Maddon has felt Pena has been expanding his strike zone too much and swinging at too many bad pitches over the past few weeks. Although he has not publicly accused Pena of pressing at the plate, Pena admitted after the meeting that "at times" he might be trying to do too much after signing a three-year, $24-million contract over the winter. Pena seemed upbeat and "liberated" after his discussion with Maddon, and he said he'd be in the lineup again on Thursday; we'll see if the talk turns Pena around.

Advice: In the last two games, Pena has struck out in seven of his eight at-bats. The other time up, he hit a solo home run. Pena, who has totaled four strikeouts six times in his career, is batting .207 with seven home runs and 17 RBIs in 31 games.