MESA and GLENDALE, Ariz. — Hanser Alberto continued his impressive spring Monday with two hits, including a three-run homer, for the White Sox in a 7-3 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Camelback Ranch.
Alberto made a stellar play at third base in the first inning to start a double play. He singled in second and homered in the fourth, his second home run this spring. The non-roster invitee is hitting .483.
Right fielder Eloy Jiménez exited after the second inning with right calf cramping, according to the Sox, who said he is day to day. Jiménez hit a tapper in front of the plate and was thrown out by catcher Carson Kelly in the second, his only at-bat.
The Cubs were off Monday and resume Cactus League play with a Tuesday night game against the Kansas City Royals.
Chicago Tribune baseball writers LaMond Pope, Meghan Montemurro and Paul Sullivan will be providing Cubs and White Sox updates throughout spring training.
Sox manager Pedro Grifol said third baseman Yoán Moncada is doing well after leaving Sunday’s World Baseball Classic semifinal against Team USA in the sixth inning with a bruised rib.
Moncada collided with a teammate while going after a fly ball in shallow left field for Team Cuba.
“It’s a bruise,” Grifol said. “Contusion to the rib area or something like that. As opposed to (a) concussion that people were talking about (in the postgame news conference and reports).
“I was actually happy that he came out of that game. It was a (13-2) game at the time. Why push through that? If he were here and we had to play this game and it meant something, he’d play today. He’s good. He’s going to be good.”
Grifol said Moncada and center fielder Luis Robert Jr. are flying back from Miami on Tuesday and will return to camp Wednesday.
“There’s no hurry. These guys have played some baseball,” Grifol said. “But it will be great to have them here and to start getting our team together and start having a few meetings here and there and talk about how we’re going to continue to do this thing.”
Adbert Alzolay appreciates the difference a year can make.
This time last season, Alzolay reported to camp coming out of the lockout with a shoulder issue that would prevent the right-hander from making his season debut with the Cubs until Sept. 17.
His future with the organization should gain further clarity in the coming months. Alzolay, 28, does not have any minor-league options left and will be arbitration-eligible in the offseason for the first time in his career.
As he takes on a role in the bullpen, an important season awaits Alzolay.
“Being able to be 100% healthy during the spring is a huge plus for me because it just allows me to keep working on the little things I’ve been working on so far,” Alzolay told the Tribune.
Two areas of emphasis: maintaining a different pitch shape between his slider and cutter and limiting damage against left-handed hitters. Lefties have slugged well against Alzolay in his big-league career. In his six relief appearances in 2022, left-handed hitters went 3-for-17 versus Alzolay, but all three hits went for extra bases.
“I feel like I’m in a really good position right now,” Alzolay said. “The command is not there like I want it to be, but it’s still early.”
Alzolay appreciates the Cubs communicating their plan to use him as a reliever. It has helped him adjust how he prepares, something he worked on dating to last season.
He also has used veterans Brad Boxberger and Michael Fulmer as blueprints for the reliever preparation process between outings. Fulmer, in particular, has been a valuable resource because he, too, went from starting to relieving.
“The way I’ve been doing it so far in the spring has helped me a lot, building on my routine to coming out of the bullpen,” Alzolay said. “I’m in a good position in my mind already knowing what is going to be your role, so it’s just going from there and listening to your body.”
Dylan Cease got Brian O’Keefe to fly out to right field to end the first inning Sunday against the Seattle Mariners. It was the beginning of 10 straight batters retired by the Sox right-hander.
“Very encouraging,” Cease said after the outing, adding with a laugh: “We’ve come a long way since Kansas City.”
Cease allowed one run on three hits with six strikeouts and one walk in four-plus innings in the 6-2 win at Peoria Stadium.
He has allowed two earned runs in his last two starts spanning 7⅓ innings after giving up 11 runs in two-thirds of an inning against the Royals on March 8.
“I’m very pleased with where I’m at,” Cease said. “I think the last couple of starts I’ve shown spurts of where I am and then I’m starting to do it more consistent. I expect to continue to climb or stay at least here.”
Sunday’s start included five consecutive strikeouts spanning the final out of the second and the first out of the fourth.
“Him throwing 30 pitches in the first (when he allowed the run) and still going out with the mindset of ‘I have to put myself on pace to do what I’m supposed to do’ was a tremendous outing,” Grifol said Monday. “That’s the stuff I’ve been talking about all spring. Just adjusting and adapting to situations that come up that don’t go in your favor. Then you make adjustments and have a good ballgame.”
- White Sox at Brewers, 3:10 p.m.
- Cubs at Royals, 8:05 p.m., Marquee
Sox shortstop Tim Anderson went 0-for-1 with a sacrifice fly while starting at second base for Team USA in a 14-2 victory against Cuba in a semifinal Sunday in Miami. Anderson hit his sac fly to Sox teammate Robert in the third.
Moncada went 2-for-4 with a run and Robert was 2-for-5 for Team Cuba.
Team USA plays in the title game Tuesday (6 p.m., FS1) against Japan, which is set to start former Cubs pitcher Yu Darvish.
“He has power, but it came on his fourth at-bat on an 0-for-3 day. That was maturity. That’s him growing, that’s him understanding even if he’s not having a great day offensively or defensively, until that game is over you can still impact a baseball game.” — Grifol on Sox prospect Oscar Colás’ home run Sunday
