Sometimes, star players go through rough patches.
It’s hard to imagine it happening to these players, but it’s just the nature of sports sometimes.
Such is the case right now with Los Angeles Dodgers star and 2019 NL MVP Cody Bellinger.
Bellinger has had a solid career so far, having also won the NL Rookie of the Year Award in 2017, but so far, this spring has not been kind to the Dodgers star.
Buster Olney of ESPN tweeted a troubling stat regarding Bellinger’s struggles.
Bellinger is 3-for-19 in 22 at-bats this spring.
To make matters worse, he has also struck out 14 times.
A tough start for Cody Bellinger in spring training this year: 3-for-19, 14 strikeouts. https://t.co/6eLeSoGmxw
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) March 28, 2022
Sign Of Trouble?
This is concerning if you’re a fan of the Dodgers or if you’re Bellinger.
This is a guy who struggled last season too, hitting just .165 with 10 homers and 36 RBIs.
So it’s disconcerting to see Bellinger off to this bad of a start.
At the same time, he deserves a little grace.
This is only spring training after all.
Plus, there was a lockout that lasted nearly 100 days.
During that period, players could not communicate with team personnel or use team facilities, so while concerning, this shouldn’t be too much of a surprise.
Bellinger has a track record of getting it done in the clutch, and if there’s ever a time to have these struggles, spring training would be it.
His struggles are still concerning though for the Dodgers.
Bellinger is usually a centerpiece in their lineup, and if he’s not right, that could be a sign of trouble for a team that is heavily favored to win it all.
We’ll see if Bellinger can correct his mistakes and pull himself out of this funk.
The Dodgers are going to need him.
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