When the Los Angeles Dodgers traded for Logan Forsythe during the offseason, the expectation was he’d provide a steady presence at second base and the top of the lineup. But a broken toe suffered in mid-April seemingly threw Forsythe’s season off course.
He was removed from a rehab assignment due to hamstring tightness, and wound up spending one month on the disabled list after it was projected he’d only miss two weeks. On Monday, Forsythe hit his second home run in September and had his fourth multi-hit game of the season.
Two of those have come this month. “He’s being more aggressive,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Forsythe’s recent surge at the plate.
“When he’s getting into counts, he’s trying to take advantage of those hitter counts. Early on and for most of the season, he was passive early in the count. And when he got into good counts, he was still passive.”
Forsythe echoed his manager’s sentiment. “I’ve been a little more aggressive in the zone,” he said. Through the first five months of the season, Forsythe swung at 49 percent of pitches in the zone. That’s risen to 59 percent in September, while his chase rate decreased from 17 percent to 14 percent.
Forsythe added being further removed from injuries and a refined swing have also played a role. “Mechanically, I think I’m in a better place,” he said. “I think the swing is coming out more consistently. It’s just nice to see some results.”
Logan Forsythe said he's been more aggressive in the strike zone and his swing is now "coming out more consistently." pic.twitter.com/mNO7Yh1fpw
— Matthew Moreno (@MMoreno1015) September 26, 2017
Since hitting a home run Sept. 9, Forsythe is batting .250/.353/.500 with five doubles, two home runs, eight RBI and five walks in 16 games (11 starts). On Monday, he went 3-for-3 with a three-run double and home run. Forsythe finished a triple shy of hitting for the cycle.
“He’s had a long season, and it seems like he’s coming around right at the right time,” said Yasmani Grandal, who has struggled in his own right. “He’s a big piece to this team. The fact that he was able to have a good night, hopefully he can keep it going and carry it on.”
