It had been time to be concerned about Matt Chapman. Heading into June, the Oakland A’s third baseman had not recaptured the form that made him one of the best at his position over the years. While he was healthy and had recovered from his torn hip labrum, Chapman just was not the same player.
Although the initial hope had been that he would be himself immediately, that ended quickly. Instead, Chapman needed more time, the opportunity to get used to how his hip feels and to go through the rigors of game action. At least, that was the hope now.
Matt Chapman starting to turn his season around
As of June 1, it was fair to wonder if that was going to happen. He ended the day with a .198/.308/.332 batting line in his 224 plate appearances, hitting only five homers and six doubles. His defense was not at its usual level either, as he simply did not look like himself.
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However, it seemed that he just needed more time. Since that day, Chapman has been on fire with the bat, posting a .295/.363/.564 batting line with five homers and four doubles in his 91 plate appearances. He is in the midst of a 14 game hitting streak as well, the longest of his career to this point.
As the A’s pitching staff, particularly the bullpen, has sputtered of late, they need all the help they can get. Having Chapman return to form, both offensively and defensively, can make a major difference as Oakland looks to overtake the Astros for the division lead.
Likewise, having Chapman back on track will make a difference for a lineup that is missing key players. Both Mark Canha and Stephen Piscotty are on the Injured List, leaving a void in the lineup. The A’s need Chapman to continue his hot hitting if they are going to bounce back.
Matt Chapman is turning his season around for the Oakland A’s. This bounceback performance is coming right when the A’s need it most.