Last month the Los Angeles Dodgers made a shrewd move to acquire Curtis Granderson just over two weeks removed from the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. The veteran outfielder was among multiple New York Mets players who cleared waivers and thus were free to be dealt anywhere.
At the time of the trade, Granderson was batting .228/.334/481 with 22 doubles, three triples, 19 home runs and 52 RBI. He’d seen an uptick in production since late May, however, and has plenty of postseason experience and is regarded as a strong presence in the clubhouse.
To say Granderson’s tenure with the Dodgers hasn’t gone as planned would be an understatement. In 23 games, he has just eight hits in 90 plate apeparances, with 14 walks and 24 strikeouts.
While a slump can be frustrating, Granderson is focused on a steady approach as opposed to pressing for better results, according to Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“I can’t swing harder. That’s not going to make it. I can’t yell and swing. I can’t run any faster than I’m already running. I can’t tackle anybody. You just have to go out there and let the game come to you.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has batted Granderson in the leadoff spot on multiple occasions in effort to help him break out of the skid. Granderson leads the Majors with an average of 4.53 pitches seen per plate appearance.
Although he’s struggled to consistently hit, Granderson does have four home runs and eight RBI with the Dodgers. A quarter of his home-run total and half his RBI came on one swing to give the Dodgers a lead against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Granderson has been a streaky hitter throughout his career, which has the Dodgers hopeful he’ll turn the corner come October. But for now, his struggles are contributing to the uncertainty in left field that Roberts is looking to resolve over the next few weeks.
