Blake Perkins is more comfortable the second time around with the Brewers, and it shows

It didn’t take long for Blake Perkins to find his comfort zone this time around with the Milwaukee Brewers.

His recent increase in playing time is evidence of that.

“Like most things in life, the first time was a learning experience,” the rookie outfielder said. “Coming back up, you know a little bit more and kind of understand how everything works a little bit better.”

As is common for most rookies in their first stint in the major leagues Perkins struggled at the plate after his initial call-up in April, going 1 for 12 with five strikeouts. He was optioned to Class AAA Nashville after 13 games.

But Perkins didn't allow the demotion to get him down.

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For the three weeks he was back in Nashville, Perkins caught fire. He hit .330 with 18 runs scored and 14 extra-base hits and drove in 14 runs.

When Tyrone Taylor went back on the injured list June 3 because of continued problems with his right elbow, Perkins received the call once again.

“Coming back is great,” said the 26-year-old Perkins, a second-round draft pick of the Washington Nationals in 2015. “Helping the team win however I can is awesome. Now getting some more playing time, I’m trying to take advantage of the opportunity.”

He didn’t waste any time, going 2 for 4 with five RBI against the Cincinnati Reds in his return. Four of the five RBI came on his first home run, a grand slam.

“Not a lot of words,” Perkins said after that game. “To be honest, I was just glad I got the ball in the air at first. Then I saw (rightfielder Jake) Fraley and I was just thinking, ‘I hope it goes.’ My mind was completely blank.”

Over the past few weeks, Perkins has found his way into the lineup more often with starts in 15 of 22 games he has appeared in since his return.

He's paid manager Craig Counsell's confidence in him back by hitting .288/.364/.424 with two homers and 12 RBI in that span.

“It was a very small sample for Blake the first time but to Blake’s credit, I think he learned a lot for those 10 or so days that he was here,” Counsell said. “He used what he learned and applied it to the next opportunity he got. And that's a credit to the player.”

Asked for the reason for his latest success, Perkins offered a simple answer.

“Trying to swing at good pitches, have good at-bats and do the best I can to get on base and use my speed to my advantage," he said. "Having some balls fall in the outfield is always good. And getting some luck to go your way helps as well.”

Luck? Perhaps.

But there’s also something to be said about the mental approach and knowing how to handle the things he can control, which is contributing to Perkins’ success this second time around.

“What's been different is, being a little bit more focused and ready to go when I'm called upon and not letting the moment or situation get too big,” Perkins said. “(And also) realizing it's the same game we’ve played our whole lives.”

Perkins affecting game through winning little things

Even though he has been able to produce at the plate, this time around, Perkins said he knows his role is to impact the game by doing the little things – defense and base running – right every night.

“That’s the part of the game I’ll affect more,” said Perkins, whose aggressiveness has also bitten him a few times in the form of pickoffs or over-aggressive slides. “I’m not here to hit homers and slug, necessarily. That’s great if that happens, but running and defense are why I believe that I'm here.”

He added: “Got to use the tools that God gave you.”

These are two components of a game that doesn’t show up on the box score. But they are equally – or sometimes more – valuable as a go-ahead hit or a strong pitching performance.

Take, for example, the Brewers' 7-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on June 20. Perkins started the seventh inning beating a throw for an infield single and then hustled to second on a fielder's choice a batter later.

Those were two instances that catalyzed Milwaukee’s game-turning, four-run inning.

“You have to do a lot of things right. You have to do a lot of little things," Jesse Winker said after that game. "Watching the end of that game, we won it because of Blake Perkins. That's just kind of what it takes – him beating out his hit and him beating out Wiemer's hit (at second base) changes the whole game.”

Defensively, Perkins provides Counsell with the luxury of playing him in all three outfield positions. He has earned 12 starts in right, seven in left and one in center.

“He’s a really good defensive outfielder and that’s what you want to see,” Counsell said. “The hitting stuff for rookies, that’s hard. But the defense, the speed and the stuff that you’re good at and can control a little more doesn’t really change between levels. He’s done a really good job with it.”

With Taylor set to return soon – he went out on a rehab assignment last week – the challenge for Perkins now is to keep his spot with the Brewers.

But the switch-hitter is making a compelling case for himself.

“You can always hope for this opportunity, but I never imagined that it would come as quickly as it did,” Perkins said. “To be here now for as long as I have, it’s very special and I'm very grateful for everything that's happened and the way it's happened.”

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee Brewers' Blake Perkins finds success second time in majors