Author: staff

Sports

Chicago Cubs will be ‘very precautious’ with Willson Contreras, who is day-to-day with left hamstring tightness

MILWAUKEE — Lower-body injuries have bothered Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras at times during his career.He was proactive in late May in coming out of a game when right hamstring tightness was bothering him. Although he missed three games, Contreras avoided the injured list.AdvertisementContreras is in a similar situation: day-to-day with left hamstring tightness after exiting Monday’s loss in the 10th inning. He felt a little better Tuesday and was not as sore, manager David Ross said. Contreras received pregame treatment on his hamstring and was seen riding an exercise bike outside the Cubs clubhouse Tuesday afternoon.Ross wanted to see how Contreras got through “some stuff” before determining whether he would be available off the bench against the Milwaukee Brewers.Advertisement“Very precautious,” Ross said. “It was smart on his behalf (to come out of the game).”Contreras clearly listens to his body, and the Cubs don’t want to push him and risk a more serious injury. Trade-deadline implications aside, Contreras has been the Cubs’ most valuable player and they can’t afford to lose him for an extended stretch.[ [Don’t miss] Which Cubs players are likely to get traded? Here’s where things stand with the deadline 1 month away. ]The Cubs still are formulating the returns of starting pitchers Marcus Stroman and Drew Smyly.Stroman (right shoulder inflammation) made a rehab start Sunday for Triple-A Iowa, and Smyly (right oblique strain) made one Monday for High A South Bend.Ross indicated he planned to meet with both pitchers Tuesday to map out their next steps. Stroman previously told reporters he felt he would need only one rehab start.Whether either pitcher needs another rehab start before coming off the IL has not been decided, Ross said.“I view them as really similar,” Ross said of their potential readiness.The Cubs can shift around the rotation after their upcoming four-game series in Los Angeles thanks to a day off Monday. They might need a fill-in start for left-hander Justin Steele, who shared on social media during spring training that he and his fiancée are expecting the birth of their first child this month.AdvertisementChicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Right-hander Adrian Sampson has been a solid addition to the rotation, while Mark Leiter Jr. pitched well Saturday in relief of Alec Mills, who exited with a back injury seven pitches into his start and was placed on the IL on Sunday.[ [Don’t miss] Column: Red Sox rookie’s 1-star review of Wrigley Field hits a nerve with the Cubs ]Nelson Velázquez had a message for Steele in the dugout after hitting his first big-league home run Monday.“I did it for you too,” Velázquez told Steele.Steele had been frequently telling Velázquez he was waiting to see the rookie outfielder hit his first homer. Velázquez delivered in his 14th MLB game, homering to left field in the second inning — to provide run support for Steele.Cubs outfielder Nelson Velázquez is congratulated after hitting a home run during the third inning against the Brewers on Monday, July 4, 2022, in Milwaukee. (Morry Gash/AP)Velázquez’s milestone baseball was returned to him, and the Puerto Rican native plans to give it to his parents so they can put it in the family home.Velázquez’s opportunities have been limited since he was recalled June 20, used mainly off the bench and for spot starts during the last two-plus weeks. His defense, particularly his arm, and baseball IQ have stood out. He nearly threw out a runner at third Tuesday night after the runner tagged up on a flyout.Advertisement“The guy’s got a hose,” Ross said. “I didn’t get to see him much in spring and I didn’t know what kind of outfielder he really was, to be honest, and he’s made a good impression. He’s made some plays going back on balls and plays over toward the line. Moves well.”

Sports

Chicago White Sox’s costly mistake on the bases puts fundamentals in the spotlight: ‘We’re a work in progress’

The Chicago White Sox were on the wrong side of major-league history Monday when AJ Pollock’s long fly to right-center went from a potential hit to an inning- and momentum-ending triple play.Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton made the catch at the wall for the first out of the seventh inning and fired back to the infield. Neither Adam Engel, who began the play on second base and raced to third, nor Yoán Moncada, who began the play at first, tagged up.AdvertisementThird baseman Gio Urshela tagged out Moncada between second and third, then stepped on second to complete the first 8-5 triple play in major-league history.At the time, the game was tied. The Sox went on to lose 6-3 in 10 innings.AdvertisementSox manager Tony La Russa said he reviewed the sequence “about 10 times” later that night.[ [Don’t miss] Column: A tragic event in Highland Park became just another day at the ballpark — and in America ]Asked before Tuesday’s game if the Sox are a good fundamental team, La Russa said, “We’re a work in progress, but I see progress.”“To be in the position that we are in,” he added, “if you take every game from the first three months into this one and you walk into that clubhouse and the guys are thinking about the next day, ready to compete, or you watch a game where you’re down for five or six innings, there ain’t no way that I’m negative about this team.“But you’re realistic that we’re a work in progress and we’ve got to be improved. But as a staff, as a manager — unless it’s not true — I’m never going to not recognize where their heart and souls are. If you make a mistake, it’s bad managing, bad coaching. We’ll fix it. That’s why I believe in these guys, and we’ll get better bit by bit. Hopefully sooner rather than later.”Engel told reporters Monday that “everyone did the right thing but me.”La Russa disagreed, saying Tuesday, “Responsibility starts with the manager.”He also noted that Buxton made an “outstanding” play.“That’s one thing that makes you stop because the guy is out there and he and (Sox center fielder Luis) Robert, they’re like twins,” La Russa said.AdvertisementDescribing the actions Tuesday, Moncada said through an interpreter: “I saw the ball for a little bit and then I put my focus on the lead runner because that’s what we do. As soon as I saw him taking off, I just went after him. I didn’t see when the center fielder caught the ball.“It’s not worth it to point fingers and who to blame. Everybody wants to do their best and keep their focus on the game.”La Russa said the team concentrated on baserunning this spring.[ [Don’t miss] Column: Could White Sox be sellers at the trade deadline? Next 2 weeks vs. AL Central foes may tell the tale. ]“One of the things we were able to do in that shortened spring training (because of the lockout) was stress baserunning,” he said. “And (bench coach) Miguel Cairo, who was a very good baserunner, he was in charge of it. (Catcher) Seby (Zavala) had the play (getting tagged out venturing a little too far after rounding second on a hit June 27 against the Los Angeles Angels) and he almost had it again (later in the road trip).“And the day after he had it, we had guys out at second base reading balls. So that’s what you do. You make a mistake, you figure it out, you work on it and you turn the page.”La Russa stressed the importance of not taking away aggressiveness.Advertisement“That’s the worst thing you can do,” he said. “I’m much more upset when a guy doesn’t take the extra base because he’s sitting back on his heels. That happens more often, that’s more of a problem. When in doubt, be aggressive.“But there’s a point where you see, I can’t get the extra base and I stop. You mix in aggressiveness with good sense. If you’re afraid to make a mistake, then you lose.”Catcher Yasmani Grandal said he’s in line to begin a rehab assignment Wednesday with Double-A Birmingham.Grandal said he’ll be a designated hitter for the Barons “throughout the weekend” and then go to Triple-A Charlotte, where he’ll add catching. He said the schedule is to return to the Sox “right at the start of the second half.”Grandal has been on the injured list retroactive to June 12 with lower back spasms.Left fielder Eloy Jiménez has been on the IL since April 24 with a torn right hamstring tendon. He suffered the injury trying to beat a throw to first base against the Twins at Target Field.AdvertisementHe had been rehabbing with Charlotte but was back in the Sox clubhouse Tuesday.Injured White Sox left fielder Eloy Jiménez jokes with teammates before a game against the Cubs on May 4, 2022, at Wrigley Field. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)“Looks in good shape,” La Russa said. “He played enough down there (17 games), they say he’s ready to go. We’re different when he’s around.”Jiménez wasn’t reinstated Tuesday, but La Russa said “yeah” when asked if Jiménez would be playing soon.“I talked to (assistant general manager/player development) Chris Getz (on Tuesday), and he did enough in the minor leagues to play in the outfield,” La Russa said when asked how often Jiménez would play the outfield or DH. “You just go day to day. I don’t know how realistic it is to play him three straight days in the outfield. (Wednesday is) a day game, so he may be activated, might play, not sure. I’m worried about (Tuesday).“Bottom line is he’s a very important guy to us. So whatever it takes to get him right, he’s a high priority.”