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Dodgers Spring Training Video: Joc Pederson Unveils New Swing At First Full-Squad Workout

Matthew Moreno
2 Min Read
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

While several Los Angeles Dodgers had already reported to Camelback Ranch prior to Wednesday, the entire roster was in camp for Thursday’s first full-squad workout.

Thus far, there’s been plenty made of Kenta Maeda’s bullpen sessions and his transition to pitching in the Majors, and Hyun-Jin Ryu’s recovery from last May’s surgery to repair the torn labrum in his throwing shoulder.

Also of note, Kiké Hernandez, Joc Pederson and Yasiel Puig were among the position players who arrived at the club’s Spring Training facility ahead of schedule.

Both Pederson and Puig are looking to bounce back from a frustrating 2015 season, though for various reasons.

Pederson began last season on a high note by winning the starting job in center field and batting .230/.364/.487 with 20 home runs, 15 doubles, 40 RBIs and 58 walks during the first half.

Along with participating in the 2015 Home Run Derby, Pederson became the first Dodgers rookie position player to start in the All-Star Game. However, he began to cool off at the plate in the weeks leading up to the Midsummer Classic, and slumped his way through the second half of the year.

After spending a portion of the offseason working with new Dodgers hitting coach Turner Ward, Pederson appears to have ditched the high leg kick in his swing, evident of video provided by J.P. Hoornstra of the LA Daily News Group from Thursday’s workout:

Overall last season, Pederson batted .210/.346/.417 with 26 home runs, 19 doubles, 54 RBIs, 170 strikeouts, 92 walks, a .335 wOBA and 115 wRC+ over 151 games. Pederson said recently his rookie year proved as a valuable learning experience from which he intends to build on moving forward.

Matthew Moreno is a journalist from Whittier, Calif., who is a credentialed reporter and is currently the Managing Editor of DodgerBlue.com and LakersNation.com. In addition to covering Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angels Lakers, Matthew has a strong passion for keeping up to date with the sneakerhead culture. It began with Michael Jordan and Air Jordan shoes, and has carried over to Kobe Bryant's signature line with Nike. Matthew previously was the lead editor and digital strategist at Dodgers Nation, and the co-editor and lead writer at Reign of Troy, where he covered USC Trojans Football. Matthew graduated from California State Long Beach University with a major in journalism and minor in communications. Contact: matt@mediumlargela.com