"Shortstop Hanley Ramirez is looking forward to the upcoming All-Star Game, but not because he won't be playing in it for the first time in four years.

"I need those days to rest," Ramirez said. "I just want to take those days, get some rest and be with my family in Miami."

Ramirez, the National League's starting shortstop the past two seasons, is off to the worst start of his major-league career. He carried a .218 batting average into Sunday's game — a far cry from his league-leading .342 average in 2009.

It has been a difficult first half, on and off the field, for Ramirez.

But a new manager, new hitting coach and new swing have given Ramirez new hope that he can turn things around and be the player everyone expected.

In his first four games after Jack McKeon took over as manager and planted him in the cleanup spot for the first time in his career, Ramirez went 6 for 17 at the plate and drove in four runs. He had two hits in three of the four games, and had one of the only two hits off Seattle ace Felix Hernandez on Friday.

"He's playing the best he's played all year,'' McKeon said. "I'm happy for him. He's happy. Hopefully, he turns his season around and has a good year."

Ramirez was benched last Monday — the day McKeon took over for Edwin Rodriguez — after showing up late to a team meeting. When Ramirez returned to the lineup the following day, McKeon put him in the No. 4 spot.

"I was trying to find the right buttons," McKeon said. "Maybe it's the right button. I don't know."

That same day, new hitting coach Eduardo Perez suggested a couple of tweaks that might also be paying dividends. He noticed that Ramirez had started to raise his front leg slightly higher, which slowed his swing."