Usually when I write on a subject, it is the equivalent of a major-league jinx. But since his July 3 return from elbow surgery, Lexingtonian Austin Kearns has been a much different hitter.
The Washington Nationals starting right-fielder was hitting .187 when he went on the disabled list with chips on his right elbow. Since his return, Kearns has hit .327 (16-of-49) with two homers and 11 RBI.
Kearns scored five runs in five at-bats in Washington’s 15-6 win over Atlanta. The 28-year-old went three-for-five from the plate with a two-run home run and a double. It was Austin’s 100th career home run in the majors.
His batting average for the season is now up to .221.
“He’s hitting everything right on the button,” first baseman Paul Lo Duca told the Washington Post. “I know he was struggling this year, and he tried to play through the elbow. But he’s healthy now, and that’s showing.”
After watching Kearns for a couple of years in Cincy, I don’t see how he CAN’T be a good to great major league hitter.
I was, um, upset, to say the least, when Krivsky traded him to Washington. I wish him only the best, and hopefully one day he’ll come full-circle and find himself in the only uniform that matters