Mahtook rediscovering swing after time away

TORONTO — Rays fans grew familiar with Mikie Mahtook last September when he experienced his best month in the Major Leagues, and easily the best September of any player on the Rays.

Mahtook, 26, had six different stints with the Rays in 2015, with his final callup to the team coming on Sept. 1. From that point on, the Louisiana native showed the skills that enticed the Rays to select him in the first round of the 2011 Draft.

Mahtook hit .356 in September, which was the second-highest average ever posted by a Rays rookie in a calendar month, trailing Rocco Baldelli in April 2003 (.368).

Included in Mahtook’s September run were five home runs in his final 23 at-bats and on Sept. 18 against the Orioles, he set a Rays rookie record with five hits, going 5-for-5 with two doubles.

September “was the best I’ve ever felt as a professional,” Mahtook said. “I’ve had some stretches in ’14 in Triple-A, I felt good pretty much the entire year. But September last year was probably the hottest I’ve been and the most consistent my swing has felt.”

Given Mahtook’s body of …

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