Levine: Todd Frazier Still Solid While Slumping With White Sox

By Bruce Levine--

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The personal numbers haven't been great, but the team results sure have been for White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier.

Frazier entered Monday's series against the Angels stuck in an 2-for-20 slump over the last five games, and he admitted he's not thrilled with the numbers right now.

"If I told you it didn't bother me, I would be lying to you," the 30-year-old Frazier said. "It is something you never really want to go through in any profession. Maybe I'm putting too much on myself. I am not thinking about the long run and just trying to understand my swing. I have not had four strikeouts in a long time."

Frazier was referring to the four whiffs he had against Tampa Bay Rays pitching on Sunday afternoon. Still, Frazier's solid defense and mere presence on the field has been a big boost to the team and its 8-4 start early in the season.

"When you get out on the field, you just can't think about it," Frazier said of his hitting woes that included a .163 batting average .523 OPS. "That is hard to do, but at the same time you make sure you play good defense so your pitchers can control the game."

A former Reds All-Star, Frazier had a tough end to the 2015 season. After hitting 25 home runs through July, he crashed after the break, hitting .220 in the second half with just 10 home runs and 32 RBIs.

"He does a lot of good things beside swinging the bat," manager Robin Ventura said. "He just needs to play the games, relax and let it come to you a little bit more. He is going to be fine."

The White Sox collectively have had trouble scoring runs. They had just 39 runs through Sunday, which is just a shade over three per game in an 8-4 start. Adam Eaton's .356 average leads the club in hitting.

"We do have a lot of potential here," Eaton said. "I think everyone in this clubhouse knows that. We are not worried at all. We know our pitching staff is good, they are certainly showing that. We also know he can hit. We will show that eventually."

Frazier and his teammates know that if they continue to play good solid baseball and support their pitchers, who have a league-best 2.74 ERA, they will be in a lot of games at the wire.

"The pitchers have been carrying us," Frazier said. "It has only been 12  games, but they have been doing their job. We (the offense) need to step it up a little bit. We know what we are capable of, but we haven't been showing it."

Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.