In a 162 game season, it’s easy to forget about the guys who got injured early on. We were reminded of Dustin May after he was seen throwing a ball after his Tommy John surgery that cost him his 2021 season. Now it’s time to remember Edwin Rios.
Rios was lost to a partially torn labrum in his right shoulder, ending his season back in May. This was a tough one for Dodger fans and for Rios. The slugger was struggling mightily before the surgery. His 2021 campaign ended with him going just 4 for 51, posting a .354 OPS. This was tough on Rios because when he was struggling, the fans were really getting on him. He was whiffing at a legendary rate.
However, when it came out he had been playing through a pretty serious injury, it sure explained a lot. Fans can be tough when a player is struggling, but to find out that his beautiful swing was hampered by a serious shoulder injury was heartbreaking for Rios.
The Beautiful Swing Returns
Dustin May appears to be rehabbing with Rios, as he posted this video to his Instagram of Rios back in the cage, swinging the bat.
Edwin Rios has started swinging the bat again. ??#Dodgers
?: @d_maydabeast on IG pic.twitter.com/MuFXSBohHF
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) November 4, 2021
What Can A Healthy Rios Bring Again?
Rios had great success in limited 2020 play. This is a quote from a Dodgers Nation piece from last September!
“In only 75 at-bats this season, Ríos has 14 extra-base hits — 8 home runs, 6 doubles. At that rate, he is hitting a homer once every 10.6 at-bats, which is just ridiculous. To top it off, his average exit velocity of 92.6 MPH puts him in the top 15% of all hitters. In other words, if he puts a ball in play, you’ll hear it.”
That beautiful swing provides a tremendous amount of power. Rios will likely always be a high strikeout guy, but that’s okay. Rios brings the power. The Dodgers will be happy to have another power-hitting lefty back and add to the bench options for the 2022 season.
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