Recently activated off the 10-day injured list after being sidelined by a strained hip flexor, Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Matt Beaty was penciled into the lineup for the first time in nearly two weeks on Friday against the Chicago Cubs.
With a right-hander on the mound in Kyle Hendricks, the 26-year-old made the most of his opportunity, slugging his first career MLB home run in the second inning — a two-run shot that helped the Dodgers pull even with the Cubs.
Beaty’s blast left the bat at an exit velocity of 102 mph and traveled an estimated 382 feet as it sailed over the fence. He finished the contest with two hits in four at-bats, later adding a double in the fourth inning against Hendricks.
Beaty’s first home run at the big league level took a while to come to fruition. Entering Friday, he had accumulated 42 plate appearances without hitting one. What’s more, it took exactly 45 days from his debut on April 30 to finally complete the task.
With his first home run now out of the way, Beaty explained he never became consumed with hitting a homer while in the midst of his drought, as seen on SportsNet LA:
“I didn’t try to press. I mean, obviously it’s in the back of your mind like, ‘Hey, I haven’t hit a home run yet in however many at-bats.’ But I tried not to put too much pressure on myself. … I usually don’t clip balls that high and hit it that high. Off the bat, I knew I got it good, the launch angle and everything was right, so I knew it was gone. …
“It was awesome running around the bases. That’s everything you dream about, is being able to hit a home run in the big leagues.”
Known for his pure hitting skills, Beaty has found ways to regularly make contact and tally hits for the Dodgers. However, it has come at the expense of his power numbers.
Prior to recording two extra-base hits on Friday, Beaty had just one double in 17 previous MLB games. Moreover, the former 12th-round draft pick managed to slug just three home runs in 128 plate appearances for Triple-A Oklahoma City earlier this season.
In 18 overall games at the Major League level, Beaty is batting .304/.304/.413 with two doubles, one home run and nine RBI over 46 plate appearances.
