DETROIT — Fourth of July – there were picnics, barbecues, fireworks … and Freddie Freeman hit a home run, leading off the sixth inning against Kyle Hart of the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium.
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There have been more picnics, barbecues and fireworks since the Fourth. But there hasn’t been another Freeman home run in 45 games and 189 plate appearances since that day.
“I don’t try and figure it out. I’m with you on that one,” Freeman said when asked if he had an explanation for the power outage. “Every year is different. If I play and hit .300, it’s usually going to look normal. The home runs have disappeared over the last couple months. I’m not going to chase that.”
It’s not just home runs. Freeman has nine doubles during the 45-game homer-free stretch for a .362 slugging percentage. For the season, his slugging percentage (through Saturday) of .457 would be his lowest since 2012, his second full season in the majors.
The numbers “surprise me,” Freeman admits. But he is not making any adjustments to try to find more extra-base hits.
“No. Absolutely not,” Freeman said. “I will never chase a home run or chase an extra-base hit. That’s not who I am. I like to hit and, in my case over 17 years, that (slugging) has come. This year, it hasn’t come. I’m not going to go chase it because I am not a .280, .270 hitter, and if I chase home runs that’s where my average is going to go and I don’t want to do that.
“I’d rather hit .300 even though I know I don’t steal bases and do all that. I still know I’m going to get on base 250-plus times a year. I view things differently. Believe me, I’d love to hit 20-plus home runs a year. Am I going to do it? I’ve got 20-some games. We’ll figure it out.”
Freeman has 15 home runs this year. He has never hit fewer than 18 in a full season. But he took a .301 average into Sunday’s game – .310 during the 45-game power drought.
Hitting .300 is much more rare than hitting 20 home runs these days. Freeman is one of just eight qualified hitters (3.1 at-bats per team games played) who took a .300 average into Sunday’s games. Fifty-four players had already hit 20 home runs this season.
The game has changed. But Freeman (who will turn 37 next month) isn’t about to.
“I’m not going to try and hit the ball over the fence. I’m not going to do that. I’ve never been that,” he said. “I’ve never considered myself a home run hitter. That’s just how it goes. Gap to gap, trying to get hits if the ball goes over the fence – yay. But I’m not going to go out there and chase it.
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“If I’m around that .300 number, the rest usually takes care of itself. I don’t know why but this year since the All-Star break it’s just been singles. Believe me I know. But I’m not going to go out there and try to hit one. I’m just going to keep trying to get hits.”
COMING SOON
Will Smith was scheduled to finish his rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sunday. He will then join the Dodgers in Los Angeles and be activated from the Injured List on Tuesday when rosters expand to 28.
Smith has been out since early June with an inflamed disc in his neck.
Justin Wrobleski started his rehab assignment by throwing 1 ⅓ innings for OKC Saturday night. He allowed a run on three hits.
Wrobleski will also join the Dodgers in Los Angeles this week, according to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. Roki Sasaki’s blister injury will apparently not change the Dodgers’ plan to move Wrobleski to the bullpen.
“We’re going to reevaluate what the plan is for him,” Roberts said. “But my assumption is he’ll stay in the ‘pen.”
Meanwhile, Emmet Sheehan allowed just one run in 5 ⅔ innings in his most recent start for OKC Saturday night.
In four starts for OKC, Sheehan has a 1.50 ERA with 24 strikeouts and 10 hits in 18 innings. But it’s unclear if Sheehan figures into the Dodgers’ plans down the stretch or in the postseason.
“There could be a potential opportunity to start here in the next couple weeks, given where Roki’s at, or the ‘pen,” Roberts said. “So I don’t know how that looks, but he certainly could be a part of the plan if he’s throwing the baseball well.”
UP NEXT
The Dodgers are off Monday.
Cardinals (TBA) at Dodgers (LHP Eric Lauer, 8-6, 4.78 ERA), Tuesday, 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM
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