Originally Posted by MLB.com

JUPITER, Fla. -- When games begin, Mike Jacobs hopes to get his share of cuts off lefties.

A year ago, Jacobs batted .182 (16-for-88) with two home runs and 11 RBIs off lefty pitching. The 26-year-old first baseman is looking to tune up his swing off them in Spring Training.

"I hope to get a good opportunity to try to prove I can hit off them," said Jacobs, who batted .281 with 18 homers and 66 RBIs off right-handed pitching. "My main goal is to get over 550 at-bats this year, like an everyday player would. Hitting off lefties obviously is involved in that. I think if I'm able to get that many at-bats, I definitely think the numbers I want will be there.

"It probably will be up to me. If I hit off them, I'll probably play against them. If not, I probably won't."

Jacobs had 469 at-bats with 20 homers and 77 RBIs in his first full big-league season.

Late in the 2006 season, Jacobs found himself platooning with Wes Helms. This year, Aaron Boone has assumed the role vacated when Helms signed with the Phillies.

The right-handed hitting Boone is a backup option at first.

To help adjust to lefty pitching, Jacobs has hit extensively off a pitching machine that simulates a left-handed thrower.

An aggressive hitter, Jacobs is working on hitting the left-handed breaking ball off the machine.

In years past, Jacobs didn't use a pitching machine to simulate lefties.

"In years past, I wasn't having as much trouble with them," he said. "I'm hitting the lefty curveball pretty much every day."

Manager Fredi Gonzalez has every intention to start Jacobs, regardless of the pitcher.

"I'm not going to play the lefty-righty stuff with him," Gonzalez said. "If it's his turn to play and there is a lefty starter, he's going to play."