It was good for the Athletics to see Matt Chapman trot around the bases after he hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning of Oakland's 11-2 win over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday at the Coliseum.
Chapman went 3-for-5 in the win and looked more like the player we're used to seeing.
“The last two days, it’s nice to get some results and find ways to help the team win,” Chapman said after the game. “We’ve had a lot of guys grinding up there, carrying the weight so it’s nice for me to do my part for sure.”
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Chapman opened up about what the hitting staff was working on with him. They’re trying to make his back hip fire better into the strike zone.
The two-time Platinum Glove Award winner underwent season-ending hip surgery in 2020.
Chapman said he had talked to other players who have undergone the same procedure and learned that it would take about a year until he felt he was completely attached to his body again.
“It takes some time to get that trust and that feel back,” Chapman said.
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He doesn’t necessarily feel like he’s in another person’s body, but he’s beginning to trust his body again.
He’s now able to catch up to some of those pitches out in front of the plate rather than being so late.
“I want to help the guys win and we got a good team and we’re in first place so I want to do what I can to help out and when I feel like I can’t help at the plate, it just gets frustrating so to be able to put a couple good games together like this and feel like I contributed makes me feel good,” Chapman said.
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A’s starter James Kaprielian is especially close to Chapman.
“I’m really proud of him, I know how much he cares,” Kapriliean said. “He’s a leader on this team. When he has success, everyone’s looking at him and when he’s failing, everyone’s looking at him. And he knows that, and he’s taking pride in his work every day and he just wants to be the best he can for this team.”
The A's are in first place in the AL West despite Chapman's struggles. If he keeps this hot streak going, Oakland should be able to put some more distance between them and the Houston Astros.