The MVP-caliber play is out of Jimmy Rollins’ system and it’s not coming back. Not at the age of 32. But, JRoll is also not a .240 hitter — when he’s healthy.
A year ago, he hit .243, but injuries had a lot to do with that. The fact is, he hit .391 with eight runs scored in the Phillies first six games before going on the DL. The Fightins went 5-1 over that time.
Jimmy Rollins is still Da Man for the Fightins when he's healthy. He's starting hot for the second straight year.
Upon returning from the DL for five games in May, he hit. .278 over that time. It’s not .300, but the average is respectable.
After missing another 26 games, he returned for the remainder of the season and was not the same player. Here are his averages by month for the rest of 2010:
- June — .182
- July — .225
- August –.236
- September — .250
The fact is, JRoll was not healthy much of last year and you can see he never recovered. He started off gangbusters, much like he did with his 2-for-4 performance yesterday.
In fact, a year ago against the Nationals he started 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Against the Astros, he scored twice.
The bottom line is, now more than ever, the Phillies need JRoll to stay healthy. He is still the straw that stirs the drink and having him protect Howard in the three hole will work. JRoll just wants to win. Just look at the first guy out of the dugout to embrace Ben Francisco yesterday.
