From the beginning of the season to the month of May, Freddie Freeman was enjoying the best season of his career and emerged as the best hitter in the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup.
Despite playing through a sore right ankle that was surgically repaired during the offseason, Freeman hit .333/.435/.596 and.410/.462/.638 during April and May, respectively. Overall, he batted .374/.440/.638 for the season through May 31, which outpaced his MVP season with the Atlanta Braves in 2020.
However, it has been much tougher sledding for him in the past two months heading into the All-Star break. Freeman’s batting average and on-base plus slugging percentage fell to .297 and .841, respectively. Freeman has said health, including the ongoing ankle maintenance and a minor right quad injury, is not responsible for his struggles at the plate.
Freeman has occasionally shown signs of turning a corner, but it is still a work in progress. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts’ confidence in his All-Star first baseman has not wavered, according to Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:
“I mean, it doesn’t feel good for anyone, but he’s just too good of a hitter, competes too well, prepares too well, that it will turn,” Roberts said before the game. “So it’s not something where I feel that there’s markers that he’s not going to come out of it. So I’m not too concerned. It doesn’t feel great right now, but not overly concerned.”
Despite the rough past two months, Freeman was voted as the starting first baseman for the National League team. The opportunity comes with added sentimental value due to Freeman beginning his career with the Braves and becoming a franchise cornerstone before signing with the Dodgers in 2022.
Now Freeman gets to shift his attention back to trying to break out of his slump as the Dodgers begin the unofficial second half of their season.
Freddie Freeman taking a ‘cue’ from World Series
In an effort to get back on track, Freeman is taking a page from last season’s World Series.
More specifically, he is reusing an adjustment he made last year that helped him put on a record setting performance against the New York Yankees’ pitching staff.
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