It’s been a tough couple years for Matt Chapman.
The Oakland A’s third baseman factored into the MVP voting in each of 2018 and 2019, with an excellent bat and the best glove in the majors. But in 2020 he got hurt, requiring hip surgery that knocked him out for the rest of that season. He was able to get back on the field for the beginning of 2021, but typical prognosis for his injury recovery suggested he’d still be affected for at least some of this summer, before factoring in the rust of basically missing a year.