A's Freiman chosen AL's top rookie for May
First baseman racks up 13 hits, .351 average during red-hot month
Athletics first baseman Nate Freiman was named the American League Rookie of the Month on Monday, after hitting .351 in May.
Oakland selected Freiman off waivers from the Astros in late March, and the 26-year-old scuffled to a .148 average in April. But he began May by going 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI against the Angels and went on to finish the month 13-for-37 with three doubles, a home run and nine RBIs, while posting a .928 OPS.
Freiman finished second among AL rookies in RBI, tied for fourth in doubles and tied for sixth in hits. He became Oakland's second rookie honoree in the past three months, after Yoenis Cespedes won last September.
Freiman's month included his first career three-hit effort on May 3 at Yankee Stadium. He also got back at his former team on May 26 at Houston, going 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs in a 6-2 victory. That kicked off a career-high four-game hitting streak, during which he went 6-for-11 with seven RBIs and led the A's to a 4-0 record.
Originally an eighth-round pick by the Padres in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, the 6-foot-8 right-handed hitter brought a .271/.350/.443 season batting line into Monday, with two homers and 15 RBIs in 70 at-bats.