Home   >   Sports   >   Choo Shin-soo wakes up, starts May with 4-game hit streak

Choo Shin-soo wakes up, starts May with 4-game hit streak

May 5, 2015
Texas Rangers' Shin-Soo Choo hits a three-run home run to tie the game against the Oakland Athletics in the eighth inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 2, 2015, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Mike Stone)

Texas Rangers’ Shin-Soo Choo hits a three-run home run to tie the game against the Oakland Athletics in the eighth inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 2, 2015, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Mike Stone)

By Brian Han

Texas Rangers outfielder Choo Shin-soo has awoken from what seemed like a month-long hibernation period.

Choo has recorded five hits in each of his last four games and these aren’t just bloopers into defensive gaps on the field. All of them have been hit hard for extra bases — four doubles and a 3-run home run.

After a dismal 0-for-21 slump in which his average slipped to .096 and he set a franchise record for lowest April batting average, the 32-year-old veteran started to show that he could be on his way to a full recovery after two separate surgeries during the offseason.

It’s only a few games into May, but he is sporting a .313 average along with consistency at the plate even when the rest of his team can’t seem to get a solid bat on the ball.

His season average is up to .147, and his .111 batting average on balls in play (BABIP) according to FanGraphs suggests he’s bound to improve if he keeps hitting the way he has in the past five weeks — that includes his plate appearances during his slump.

The Rangers snapped the Houston Astros’ 10-game win streak Monday and will face them again Tuesday.

Choo and his teammates will face right hander Scott Feldman.

He has a career .298 average against righties and .241 against lefties so the match up will work in his favor as he tries to extend his hit streak.