Reds’ India looking for answers amid personal career-worst slump
It's been a frustrating month for Cincinnati Reds second baseman Jonathan India.
Entering the week, he was hitting just .183 with a .669 OPS over his last 30 games. And as a result, heading into this weekend's series against the Brewers, he hit in the bottom half of the lineup for the first time since his rookie season.
“This game is tough, and it's only my third year,” India said.
While it's true India is only in his third year, he has quite a bit of experience.
Of all the players on Cincinnati's roster, India, 26, has played more games with the Reds than all but 39-year-old Joey Votto.
And the 2021 NL Rookie of the Year is, in some ways, still the same hitter that he was during his breakout season, when India was one of the most effective leadoff hitters in baseball.
On average, he's hitting the ball even harder than he did in 2021, and India is striking out less often than he did as a rookie. However, he's not barreling line drives as often, and he's drawing fewer walks.
“He's doing a little bit of what all hitters do, especially the ones that are good
and competitive,” Bell said. “They care a lot about doing well and contributing to the team. You just start chasing results, basically.
“Getting back to being patient in a way is really hard to do. You want to win every single game for the team and make up for any lost time. It just doesn't work that way.”
In the three-game series against the
Brewers, during a stretch where the Reds desperately needed a breakthrough run in the three close losses, India only came up with one base hit in 11 at-bats.
“It's been tough mentally for me,” India said. “I've never struggled like this. Like I say every time, I need to stick to my process and trust myself. All I can do is show up every day and play. I can't force anything. I can't try to be a hero.”