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Rollins enters his homecoming on a roll

Surrounded by media from Philadelphia and Los Angeles last month in the home dugout at Dodger Stadium, Jimmy Rollins downplayed the significance of his first game against his former team.

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Jimmy Rollins (11) rounds first after hitting a solo home run against the New York Mets during the third inning at Citi Field. (Brad Penner/USA Today)
Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Jimmy Rollins (11) rounds first after hitting a solo home run against the New York Mets during the third inning at Citi Field. (Brad Penner/USA Today)Read more

Surrounded by media from Philadelphia and Los Angeles last month in the home dugout at Dodger Stadium, Jimmy Rollins downplayed the significance of his first game against his former team.

It would probably be different, the Dodgers shortstop noted on that early July afternoon, when he returned to Citizens Bank Park. He added that he had yet to think much about that, either.

Rollins, 36, surely considered it much more as Tuesday night's homecoming neared. His 1,048th career regular-season game in South Philadelphia will be his first as an opponent. His former team planned a special in-game tribute for the former MVP and franchise cornerstone.

"I expect [there] to be a lot of cheers," Ryan Howard said. "He has done a lot of positive things in this city. He helped bring the city a championship, so I would expect a lot of cheers."

"He will get a standing ovation - why wouldn't he?" Domonic Brown added. "Jimmy is phenomenal guy, as you know, a Hall of Famer, has great numbers and is still doing it."

Rollins' first season away from Philadelphia has not gone as well as he probably envisioned. Although he is still strong defensively, the impending free agent enters this week's three-game series hitting a dismal .216, tied with Washington's Ian Desmond for the worst mark among 73 qualified National League hitters, and sporting a .630 on-base plus slugging percentage for the first-place Dodgers.

The Phillies' all-time hits leader has performed better recently, though, and last Wednesday reclaimed his leadoff spot when struggling rookie Joc Pederson was bumped down in the Los Angeles lineup. Rollins is hitting .333 over his last 10 games, and is 6 for 18 with a double and a triple in the four games since he was penciled back into the top spot on manager Don Mattingly's lineup card.

In typical Rollins fashion, he homered in three consecutive games against the New York Mets at Citi Field from July 23-25.

"It is going to be a lot of fun," said Brown, who works out with Rollins in the offseason in Tampa, Fla. "It was a little weird once we went to L.A., seeing him over there, but it is going to be a lot of fun. We definitely are going to hang out for sure and just reminisce about old memories."

The Phillies won only one of their four games against the Dodgers from July 6-9, with Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke shutting them out on back-to-back nights to cap the series. Rollins experienced one of his best series of the season, tallying hits in five of his 15 at-bats with a home run, two doubles, and five RBIs.

His go-ahead, two-run single in the seventh inning of the series opener proved crucial to a 10-7 Dodgers win, even after which Rollins downplayed any extra meaning.

"No. No," he said that night. "When you get a hit like that it feels good no matter who you're playing against. If you don't, it's like, 'Dammit.' And I definitely didn't want to have a 'Dammit' moment against my former team.

"But it wasn't anything extra."

Surely Tuesday's return to his longtime former home will conjure up just a few sentimental feelings.

BY THE NUMBERS

StartText

.279

Jimmy Rollins' regular-season average at Citizens Bank Park over his career.

.265

His career batting average.

.333

His average against the Phillies this season.

.211

His average against everyone else this season.

EndText

How Rollins Rates

StartText

Active hits leaders entering Monday's games.

1. Alex Rodriguez. . . 3,035

2. Ichiro Suzuki. . . 2,902

3. Adrian Beltre. . . 2,693

4. Albert Pujols. . . 2,619

5. Torii Hunter. . . 2,416

6. Carlos Beltran. . . 2,394

7. Jimmy Rollins. . . 2,385

Stats at Short

Jimmy         Freddy

Rollins Galvis

.216       Avg.       .277

.630       OPS      .683

8          Errors 12

.979 Fielding pct. .971

EndText

@jakemkaplan

Staff writer Marc Narducci contributed to this article.