CINCINNATI - Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis had a breakout season in 2013 as a 26-year-old on a playoff team. He appeared primed to be a regular visitor to the Midsummer Classic, given his immense talent and strong work ethic.

Instead, the 2014 season was a bit of a disaster. He dealt with oblique and hamstring injuries while also struggling in a big way at the plate. The result was a .240/.310/.330 slash line, down from .284/.366/.452 in the previous season.

Well, he's back as an All-Star again in 2015. In fact, he's having a career year at age 28. Kipnis brings to the break a .323/.401/.487 slash line with an MLB-best 27 doubles in addition to six triples, six homers, 59 runs scored and 10 stolen bases.

So what's changed?

"This game is about constant adjustments," he said. "I shortened up my swing and have gotten my hands in a better place which has gotten me more time to recognize pitches. I don't worry about home runs, I'm 5'10" 1/2, I don't need to be swinging for 25 home runs in a year. What works for me is going to the opposite field and staying through the ball. Sticking with that approach has been working for me."

The difference in approach is subtle, but noticeable. Watch the hands in 2014:

And now 2015:

Notice the hands are lower and the bat is more upright this season. Here's a screen-grab of each setup from above:

The renewed focus on hitting the ball to all fields resulted in a triple in the above highlight, and that's a ball that Kipnis admits he'd probably have tried to pull last season.

As Kipnis said, it's a game of adjustments and the ones he made heading into this season have him in position for the best season of his career. For the time being, the All-Star team works just fine as well.