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As Chicago White Sox eye another opportunity vs. Minnesota Twins, Tony La Russa talks accountability — starting with himself

CLEVELAND — The records speak for themselves.The Chicago White Sox lost six of their first eight games against the Cleveland Guardians and five of six against the Minnesota Twins.AdvertisementIf the Sox are going to rise from third place in the American League Central, they have to improve against the teams ahead of them in the standings.The Sox wrapped up a four-game series against the second-place Guardians on Wednesday at Progressive Field. Up next is the final series before the All-Star break: four games against the first-place Twins beginning Thursday at Target Field.Advertisement“I was taught you treat every game like it’s the last game of your life,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said before Wednesday’s game, answering no when asked if he’s a different manager now compared with his final year in St. Louis in 2011. “So the urgency is there because you have to win that game. “That’s why I don’t feel like anything that was accomplished before (at previous stops) matters with this job. Because that’s before. And that was true with whatever club you’re on. You have a good year and the next year, ‘Hey, you won two years ago.’ No, you’ve got to win that year.[ [Don’t miss] Column: Ken Williams to the rescue? More like another maddening moment in a miserable White Sox season. ]“I know the circumstance here and I’ve been here before. I literally want to win as much as I ever have in my life. So if we can’t get above .500 — and we haven’t and this hasn’t been fun — but I still respect and admire what’s in there (in the clubhouse) and how we keep pushing. And I believe it’s coming.”The Sox (42-45) entered Wednesday 5½ games behind the Twins (49-41) and 1½ behind the Guardians (43-43).“If you’re preaching accountability for the players, you better start with yourself,” La Russa said. “I think our record should be better, so I should manage better.”The eight-game trip had an inauspicious start Monday when the Guardians scored five runs in the first inning on the way to an 8-4 win. Shane Bieber silenced the Sox bats in Game 1 of Tuesday’s split doubleheader, limiting them to three hits in a 4-1 Guardians win. Dylan Cease provided a lift in Game 2, striking out nine and allowing five hits in 5⅔ innings in a 7-0 Sox victory.White Sox starter Lucas Giolito throws to first to retire the Guardians’ Austin Hedges during the third inning Wednesday, July 13, 2022, in Cleveland. (David Dermer/AP)“(Cease’s) slider is one of the best pitches in baseball,” Sox pitching coach Ethan Katz said Wednesday. “It’s hard to think of anybody who has a better pitch than that in the game. As teams made adjustments, he’s made adjustments. He’s throwing it in the zone a lot more consistently.“Teams are trying to line up lefties against him to try to combat it. He’s still figuring out ways and doing a good job getting it in the zone and continuing to grow and continuing to build confidence. It’s really nice to see.”AdvertisementKatz thinks Cease, who leads the AL in strikeouts (142) and is third in ERA (2.30), should be an All-Star. He wasn’t on the roster when pitchers and reserves were announced Sunday.“I feel for him,” Katz said. “It’s something I know he really wanted. If something does open up, I hope he’s considered (as an addition). He’s one of the most exciting pitchers in baseball and deserves an opportunity to show what he can do at center stage. It’s a tough one to swallow.”Cease is slated to pitch Sunday’s series finale against the Twins. Johnny Cueto, Michael Kopech and Lance Lynn are scheduled to start the first three games.The Twins are countering with Sonny Gray, Devin Smeltzer and Dylan Bundy in the first three games with their Sunday starter to be determined.[ [Don’t miss] Column: White Sox need more than a couple of wins to prove they’re a serious threat in the AL Central ]It’s an opportunity for the Sox to make up ground in what has been a remarkably disappointing season.“Based on experience, when you try to explain something, some people will take the explanation and some people will say that’s excuse making and you’re covering,” La Russa said. “You’re better off just saying the record is not good enough. And I like it best when you say whatever part of the game you don’t like, the manager is responsible for making it better.Advertisement“Now internally, if you look at how our season has gone — in my opinion — we’ve had some games of where ‘What the heck was that about?’ But there have been a lot of times when we followed up with a real gutsy performance that has kept us hanging around. And that’s why I think the club feels good about the price we’ve paid and where we are and let’s get hot. But what we feel is important because that controls your confidence and your personal urgency.“But there’s no way if somebody critiques your record (and) says you’ve been a losing club for the first few weeks of the season and you come out and say, ‘It’s OK.’ It’s not OK. Accept it. We had expectations for a reason. We’ve got talent. And when we get hurt (with injuries), everybody gets hurt. And so you’ve got to win with what you’ve got.”

Sports

Kyle Hendricks is shut down for ‘at least’ 2-3 weeks as the Chicago Cubs deal with another lengthy injury to a starting pitcher

The Chicago Cubs won’t be seeing Kyle Hendricks on the mound anytime soon.While the initial report on Hendricks was encouraging that he won’t need surgery on his right shoulder, the timeline for the veteran’s return suggests late August is his best-case scenario. AdvertisementAnd even that could be too optimistic. Hendricks will be shut down for at least two to three weeks, manager David Ross said Wednesday, before he begins a throwing progression.“So he’s going to take a bit,” Ross said.AdvertisementOnce Hendricks is cleared to throw, playing catch would be the first step, eventually ramping up to long toss and then bullpen sessions. He likely would need at least one rehab start in the minors before coming off the injured list. Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Hendricks, 32, exited his July 5 start against the Milwaukee Brewers after three innings because of right shoulder discomfort. He had 12 days off between starts in early June because of a bothersome shoulder with the hope the extended layoff would resolve the issue. An MRI last week showed no structural issues, but the injury will cost Hendricks weeks on the IL.Hendricks’ injury means more starts for right-hander Adrian Sampson and continued opportunities for left-hander Justin Steele and righty Keegan Thompson to prove they’re everyday starters.“They’re doing a really nice job of that,” Ross said. “And so it’s the next-guy-up kind of mentality. It sucks for Kyle, it stinks for us, but we’ll go about our business and he’ll get back as soon as he can.”Four Cubs starters — Wade Miley, Marcus Stroman, Drew Smyly and Hendricks — will have missed more than a month this season because of various injuries. Stroman and Smyly returned last weekend in Los Angeles, while Miley, who has been on the IL since June 11 with a left shoulder strain, has progressed only to playing catch.The Cubs expected to rely heavily on that veteran foursome coming into the season, potentially making the rotation a strength after last year’s lackluster production from their starters. However, Hendricks, Miley, Stroman, and Smyly have combined to start only 40 of the Cubs’ 88 games with a combined 4.56 ERA in 199⅓ innings.“If you want to go down that road of, well, if everybody was healthy, we’d be really good — I don’t care to play that game,” Ross said. “Everybody goes through adversity and we’ve got to figure out a way to win. It gives other guys opportunities.”

Sports

10 unvaccinated Kansas City Royals players unable to make trip to Toronto because of COVID-19 restrictions

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals will be without 10 of the 26 players on their active roster for their upcoming trip to Toronto because of Canadian restrictions on travelers who aren’t vaccinated against COVID-19.Manager Mike Matheny said Wednesday that the club will be without position players Andrew Benintendi, Hunter Dozier, Cam Gallagher, Kyle Isbel, MJ Melendez, Whit Merrifield and Michael A. Taylor along with pitchers Dylan Coleman, Brad Keller and Brady Singer.AdvertisementThe team is set to play four games in Toronto. The 10 players will be placed on the restricted list and forfeit four days of pay and major-league service time in accordance with the terms of MLB’s collective bargaining agreement.“It’s an individual choice,” Matheny said. “The organization’s done a real good job bringing in professionals and experts to talk guys through tough conversations and then put it in their hands to make the decisions they believe is best for them and their families.”AdvertisementBenintendi will lose $186,813, Merrifield $153,846, Keller $106,044 and Dozier and Taylor $98,901 each. Among the others, the lost pay for Gallagher will be $19,451, Singer $15,962, Isbel $15,426, Coleman $15,399 and Melendez $15,385.The club will name their replacements Thursday, along with an announcement about other staff who won’t be traveling with the club.