“I don’t have a superpower”: Mookie Betts gets brutally honest on how his fractured toe became turning point in overcoming slump 

After issues with health and a slump in the first two months of the season, Mookie Betts is back to the best version of himself. The turning point came after the Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop spent time off the field nursing the freak toe injury after bumping into a piece of furniture in his bathroom on May 31.

Since his return from the toe injury, the former MVP is hitting .351 (13 for 31) and a .901 OPS in nine games. Before the injury, he was hitting .254, which the slugger called "garbage."

Talking about his early-season slump, Betts said in an article published Thursday by The Orange County Register:

“I believe I can be better than that. I believe in my abilities and my process. I felt like I was doing the right work but it wasn’t really translating. … It’s just hard. It’s hard to know you were somebody and you’re giving it everything you’ve got and it’s not showing up. It’s hard to look at. I don’t care who you are.”

The injury turned out to be a blessing in disguise as it allowed Betts to look back on the videos to address issues with his swing. He worked alongside hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc to get the read of the situation and what followed was a far better output.

Betts acknowledged that he isn't the fastest, biggest and strongest on the field, so for him to be the best he can, he has to be perfect in all facets of hitting.

"I am literally average across the board in all facets of the game," Betts said. "I have to rely on a lot of things in my process to be perfect. That’s just the way it is. I don’t have a superpower to fall back on. I’m not those guys. I don’t have those things to fall back on. So it really has to be right, my process has to be right.

"You might say, ‘Oh, your hand-eye coordination.’ Everybody’s hand-eye coordination here is good – elite at this level. That doesn’t set you apart. It’s got to be something. So I feel like mine is my process and my hard work. That’s really the only thing I can control. I can’t make myself bigger or stronger or all those other things.”

Mookie Betts identifies reason for the early-season slump

Mookie Betts' stomach started acting up before the season opener in the Tokyo Series against the Chicago Cubs. He lost a lot of weight before the stomach bug went away, which meant he had to work his way back to top shape.

Betts identified this as a possible reason why he wasn't his best in the early part of the season.

“I was trying to swing harder with my upper body instead of still using the ground and just understanding that at 160 pounds I’m not going to be able to use the ground the same way I do at 180, 175,” Betts said.

The Dodgers are 41-28 and lead the NL West. And with Betts coming along, LA will be a fearsome unit in its bid to claim another National League pennant.