The Los Angeles Dodgers’ first game of the 2021 season ended up being a foreshadow for the type of year Cody Bellinger would have.
Bellinger, who was looking to rebound from a disappointing 2020 campaign and offseason shoulder surgery, drew a walk in his first plate appearance of the year and hit a ball over the fence in his second at-bat.
However, despite hitting what appeared to be a home run, Bellinger was called out and given a single because Justin Turner was returning to first base which caused Bellinger to run past him.
Bellinger’s season went down from hill there.
He suffered what was believed to be a left calf contusion that kept him out of action for 46 games from April 5 to May 29, but it was later determined Bellinger sustained a hairline fracture in his leg.
Around two weeks after he was activated, Bellinger was again placed on the 10-day injured list with left hamstring tightness that caused him to miss 10 games.
He then had a stretch of healthy games until he suffered a non-displaced fracture in his ribs. Bellinger initially tried to play through it but was placed on the IL on Sept. 21 that caused him to miss one week.
Through all the injuries and returning from offseason shoulder surgery, Bellinger was never able to find much success at the plate.
“He’s grinding. He’s been grinding,” Roberts said of Bellinger in August. “It’s been a difficult time for him trying to perform at this level and still trying to get that front shoulder strength when you’re recovering from a surgery.”
At one point in the season, he was demoted to a platoon role and admitted that the season was a challenge.
He finished the year hitting .165/.240/.302 with a 48 wRC+ and 10 home runs in 95 games.
Despite his struggles all season, the 26-year-old continued to work to salvage it and finally started to find his groove when the Dodgers needed him most.
In the postseason, Bellinger led the Dodgers by hitting .353/.436/.471 in 12 games.
Turner called Bellinger’s success “one of the greatest season to playoff turnarounds ever.” Bellinger attributed some of his postseason contributions to his improved health.
“I’m feeling good,” he said prior to Game 2 of the National League Division Series. “I’ve been feeling good, not frustrated. I feel 100%. I don’t know how my body is, but I feel really good.”
Bellinger’s 2021 highlight
Although the season was mostly one to forget, Bellinger did have a few great moments, including a walk-off home run against the Chicago Cubs and a grand slam to cap off an 11-run first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals.
His most memorable moment came in Game 5 of the NLDS. In a 1-1 game with runners on first and second and one out in the ninth, Bellinger singled to right-center field and gave the Dodgers a 2-1 lead, which led to defeating the San Francisco Giants and moving to the NL Championship Series.
2022 outlook
The Dodgers will need Bellinger to return to form after losing Corey Seager to the Texas Rangers and they have shown some faith in him by signing him to a one-year, $17 million deal prior to the lockout to avoid arbitration.
With the tough 2021 season and the injury problems behind him, Bellinger now has a full off-season to train and prepare for the season instead of rehabbing.
“I was rehabbing all offseason last year and then everything happened this year,” he said. “But a full offseason, I’ll for sure be ready to go.”
This season could also end up being a make-or-break year for Bellinger’s long-term future with the Dodgers as he is a free agent after the 2023 campaign and will need to prove himself worthy of an extension.
But based on his success in the postseason and his history of being an elite player, it would be wise to bet on Bellinger returning to form in 2022.
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