Dodgers need power from Adrian Gonzalez

The Dodgers open a three-game series on Friday night against the Diamondbacks at Chase Field, a ballpark where Adrian Gonzalez normally does quite well. Maybe that will provide a jump start for what has been a slow start for the Dodgers’ first baseman.

Gonzalez hit a pair of doubles in the first three games of the season, both ground-rule doubles to left field which is usually a good sign for the left-hander that he is driving the ball to the opposite field. But here we are 2½ weeks later, and Gonzalez doesn’t have another extra-base hit.

The Dodgers are one of three major league teams without a home run from any of their first baseman in 2017, along with the White Sox and Twins.

Gonzalez dating back to last season is without a home run in his last 17 games. In 2016 alone, he also had homerless streaks of 27, 19 and 19 games. His longest career drought is 31 games, in 2006 with San Diego.

Through 16 games, Gonzalez is hitting .269/.367/.308, and his 52.3% ground ball rate is the highest of his career. He owns a 40.9% career ground ball rate, and his 46.2% rate in 2016 contributed to the lowest isolated power (.150) of any full season in his career.

Gonzalez in his career has hit .315/.393/.574 with 21 home runs, 16 doubles, and 67 RBI in 84 games at Chase Field. That includes just 6-for-38 (.158) with no home runs and a double last year.

So far in 2017, Gonzalez’s ISO — which is slugging percentage minus batting average — is .038. National League pitchers this season, for comparison, have a .027 ISO.

If you want more batted ball data, here are Gonzalez’s Statcast numbers:

Source: MLB.com

We are talking about less than three weeks into the season here, so there is plenty of time to improve. But coming off a sizable drop in power last season, followed by elbow tendinitis during spring training this year, there are definitely reasons for concern.

Game info

Time: 6:40 p.m. PT

TV: SportsNet LA