Hitters talk a lot about their constant adjustments.

Sometimes they have to make tweaks because of what pitchers are doing. Sometimes the adjustment is to essentially make no adjustment or get back to a good habit they somehow let slip.

For left-handed batters who don’t fare well against lefty pitchers, it is often a matter of them being jumpy and “opening up” their body toward the pitcher too soon.

Gavin Sheets, who for the first time in his career is truly getting a shot at being an everyday player, was talking about that recently.

“Yeah, staying closed on my front side,” he said of his focus when facing left-handers. “... When I can do that, I feel like I’m seeing it better and give myself more of a chance.”

Sheets has been locked in against lefties recently. He went 2-for-3 Sunday against former Damian High product Nick Lodolo of the Reds.

It was Sheets’ fourth game ever with two hits against left-handers. It followed his first-ever game with two extra-base hits against left-handed pitching.

Facing Andrew Abbott, one of the toughest left-handers in the National League, Sheets doubled twice in three at-bats Saturday.

Sheets has eight hits in his past 22 at-bats against left-handers and is batting .243 (18-for-74) with a .643 OPS against them this season.

That batting average is 75 points higher than his career average against lefties entering this season, and the OPS is 185 points higher.

— San Diego Union-Tribune

ALL-STAR FUTURES

Seattle switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje was among nine first-round picks from last year’s amateur draft selected Monday for the All-Star Futures Game at Atlanta’s Truist Park on July 12.

A 22-year-old from the Netherlands selected with the 15th overall pick, Cijntje is 4-4 with 4.88 ERA in 12 starts and three relief appearances for High-A Everett in his first professional season, striking out 58 and walking 31 in 51 2/3 innings.

He has held 180 batters to a .165 average (26 for 158) with seven home runs pitching right-handed and 42 batters to a .360 average (9 for 25) with two home runs pitching left-handed.

Among other first-round picks from last year are Colorado first baseman/outfielder Charlie Condon (third), St. Louis shortstop JJ Wetherholt (seventh), Pittsburgh shortstop Konnor Griffin (ninth), and Chicago White Sox outfielder Braden Montgomery (12th).

Also, New York Mets outfielder Carson Benge (19th), Toronto right-hander Trey Yesavage (20th), Minnesota shortstop Kaelen Culpepper (21st), and Arizona outfielder Slade Caldwell (29th).

There are 17 former first-round picks overall.

Leo De Vries, an 18-year-old shortstop for the Padres, is among 13 international prospects, including five from the Dominican Republic, three from Venezuela, two from Canada, and one each from the Bahamas, Cuba and Panama.

Detroit outfielder Max Clark was picked for the second straight year after going 1 for 4 at Texas last July.

Washington right-hander Marquis Grissom Jr. is on the NL team. His father, Marquis Grissom, is the AL manager, while the NL is managed by Braves Hall of Famer Chipper Jones.

AROUND THE MAJORS

The Yankees’ Aaron Judge reached 30 homers for the fifth straight season and fourth time before All-Star break. He also became the sixth player in team history with six 30-homer seasons and joined Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio as the third Yankee with six 30-homer seasons within the first 10 years of his career.

The Cleveland Guardians went 9-15 in June and suffered through one of the worst offensive months in team history. The Guardinas had a .206 batting average, which is tied for the third-worst batting month in franchise history with at least 13 games played.

The Guardians dropped five of six on their recent homestand and were shut out three times. They have scored runs in only two of the last 40 innings. They scored 72 runs during the month, the third-fewest they have scored in a June in franchise history.

Phillies slugger Bryce Harper got to a point where the condition of his right wrist — bothered by inflammation that stuck him on the injured list — was pretty much as good as it gets.

So it’s time to play.

Harper returned from a nearly monthlong layoff with right wrist inflammation to start at first base and bat third for the Phillies on Monday night against San Diego.

“I didn’t think I was going to take any other steps forward of feeling better,” said Harper, who went on the 10-day IL on June 6.