GLENDALE, Ariz. — Chicago White Sox reliever José Ruiz saw a familiar face in the batter’s box for Team USA during Saturday’s World Baseball Classic quarterfinal in Miami.
Pitching for Team Venezuela, Ruiz squared off against Sox teammate Tim Anderson.
“That was a very funny moment,” Ruiz said through an interpreter Monday. “I didn’t know he was on deck until I saw him in the batter’s box. It was a healthy competition.”
Ruiz got the better of the matchup, striking out Anderson in the first inning of the 9-7 U.S. victory.
“Afterward, when he was at third base, I was messing around with him from the dugout,” Ruiz said.
Ruiz had an impressive WBC, going 2-0 and allowing one hit with five strikeouts in 4⅓ scoreless innings during three appearances.
“I love what he’s done,” Sox manager Pedro Grifol said Sunday. “I love the intensity and focus of his pitches, his demeanor, his ability to go back out for a second inning. Just his presence on the big stage has been really good. Sometimes it’s good to see stuff like that.
“He raised the bar and that’s really good for me. I don’t really know him that well. Spent a couple weeks with him here before he left. But I saw some good things that now I’m able to talk to him about. That’s the Ruiz I’m expecting back here.”
Ruiz returned to Sox camp Monday after Venezuela’s loss Saturday. He said the event “definitely brought (out) the best of me.”
“I was able to compete and challenge other batters and see what I am really able to do,” he said “and I definitely boosted my confidence. It taught me a lot (about) how I can do things and how good I can be.”
He agreed with Grifol’s assessment of raising the bar.
“I know that all the coaches were paying attention to me,” Ruiz said. “I received text messages from (bullpen coach Curt Hasler), from (pitching coach) Ethan (Katz) and from Pedro, especially at the end congratulating me for the work that I did. I just want to carry that into the season.
“I want to help this team to win, to get to the postseason and hopefully to win a World Series. That’s my mind.”
Ruiz said his favorite WBC experience came in the first game of Pool D play against the Dominican Republic.
“It was a tie game, 1-1 (in the fourth), and I was able to do my job (retiring two of the three batters he faced) and we ended up winning the game,” Ruiz said.
In his final outing in the tournament, Ruiz struck out Anderson and Mike Trout during a scoreless 1⅔ innings Saturday.
“The whole experience was incredible,” Ruiz said. “I had the chance to face TA, Trout, (Juan) Soto, (Mookie) Betts. … I was very excited.
“It was something out of this world, the experience we had there. Being able to represent your country and to play in front of that many people was very nice.”
Ruiz, 28, went 1-0 with a 4.60 ERA in 63 relief appearances last season for the Sox. He’s incorporating a sinker to go with his other pitches.
“The changeup is definitely one of my best pitches, along with the fastball and the slider,” he said. “Those three pitches worked pretty well in the tournament and I just want to keep improving and keep those pitches being effective.
“And now also trying the sinker, which is another pitch that I think is going to help me to be more effective. And that’s something I have to keep working on and I try to get better every day with all my pitches and keep all of them working effectively.”
The Sox optioned pitchers A.J. Alexy and Franklin German to Triple-A Charlotte, among eight roster moves announced Monday.
They also reassigned pitchers Declan Cronin, Lane Ramsey and Jesse Scholtens, catcher Adam Hackenberg, infielder Moisés Castillo and outfielder Víctor Reyes to minor-league camp.
With the moves, the Sox have 42 players remaining in camp: 21 pitchers, three catchers, 11 infielders and seven outfielders.
Reliever Matt Foster is dealing with a right forearm strain, the Sox said Monday. They hope to know more about a timeline by the end of camp.
Foster is 1-0 with three strikeouts in three scoreless innings this spring. He last pitched in a Cactus League game on March 5. The right-hander was 1-2 with a 4.40 ERA in 48 relief outings in 2022.
