The Los Angeles Dodgers’ bats have been sizzling to start the season as they lead the National League in hits, runs, home runs and on-base plus slugging percentage which is a big reason for them holding a 15-9 record.
One player who has yet to really get in on the offensive barrage is the newest member of the team, center fielder A.J. Pollock. Pollock started off well in his first few games with the Dodgers, but in his last 14, he is hitting just .170/.259/.298 with a home run and six RBI.
While that is obviously not the April he had hoped to have in his first season in Los Angeles, he is not yet worried about his struggles, via Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“Honestly, it’s a long season. I kind of know the ups and downs of everything,” Pollock said. “Yeah, there’s a lot of things I can do better, a lot of things I feel I have to improve on. But it’s definitely not a linear type of season.
“If I had a down 60 at-bats, say, midway through the year, you don’t think anything of it. If I was younger and this was my first or second year in the big leagues I’m sure I’d have a little panic. Obviously, I’m frustrated when stuff doesn’t work out. But I keep grinding because there’s the ups and downs of a season.”
Pollock is tied for third on the team with 14 RBI, so while he hasn’t gotten a ton of hits yet, he has had some timely ones. The biggest was a three-run home run in the sixth inning to help defeat the Cincinnati Reds last Wednesday.
Considering how well some of the other players on the team are currently performing at the plate, the Dodgers can afford the luxury of letting Pollock work through his struggles as opposed to benching him and risking a loss in confidence.
