Aside from re-signing key players, the Los Angeles Dodgers biggest offseason acquisition was second baseman Logan Forsythe, whom they received in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for pitching prospect Jose De Leon.
Forsythe was expected to fill a void in the leadoff spot and help improve the team against left-handed pitching. But the 2017 season has hardly gone according to plane for the Dodgers and the 30-year-old.
Heading into last Sunday’s game, Forsythe was just 8-for-66 and batting .121/.275/.182 with a home run and three RBIs in 21 games since coming off the DL.
He was able to break out of that in an 8-7 win over the Cincinnati Reds, going 2-for-5 with a towering home run to left field.
Forsythe didn’t appear in the series opener against the New York Mets, and went 2-for-5 with two runs scored, an RBI and one walk in Tuesday’s rout. While the two games won’t signal the end of the skid, Forsythe believes he’s reaping the benefit of his recent work, per Jeremy Vernon and Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:
“The last couple of games the timing’s been a little bit better,” said Forsythe. “I’m getting into a position where I can actually fire and be a little more aggressive. The work is starting to pay off, and the suggestions from about everybody. It’s been a long road. Haven’t been in a slump like that for a long time.”
If Forsythe is in fact out of the slump, it would further add to an offense that is already firing on all cylinders. Cody Bellinger has slugged 10 home runs in his past 10 games, and Corey Seager put together a three-home run performance on Tuesday night.
Justin Turner did see his hitting streak snapped at 14 games, but he’s otherwise torn the cover off the ball. Overall this season, Forsythe is batting .208/.338/.283 with three doubles, two home runs, nine RBI and 21 walks.
