Author: staff

Sports

With Lucas Giolito back and Lance Lynn perhaps 3 weeks away, the Chicago White Sox could have 7 starters: ‘We hope we have that problem’

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chicago White Sox are a step closer to having a healthy rotation with Lucas Giolito’s return to the mound Wednesday against the Kansas City Royals.Giolito had been out since Friday, when the Sox placed him on the COVID-19-related injured list. His reinstatement was one of three roster moves the team announced.AdvertisementThe Sox optioned Davis Martin to Triple-A Charlotte after the right-hander allowed one run and struck out seven in five innings in his impressive major-league debut in the second game of Tuesday’s doubleheader. They also transferred starter Lance Lynn to the 60-day IL. Lynn is eligible to be reinstated June 6. If everyone is healthy then, the Sox could have seven starters to choose from.Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] Column: Beef between Tim Anderson and Ozzie Guillén? It’s up to the White Sox to make sure it’s not a bigger distraction. ]“We’ll figure that out when that time comes,” pitching coach Ethan Katz said Tuesday. “If you look at a lot of teams, for example last year the (Los Angeles) Dodgers had 10 starting pitchers at the start of the season and they finished in the playoffs with like three.“Having starting depth is really important. You can never have enough and how it shakes out at the end of the day, we’ll see how it goes. But right now it’s nice to have the options we have, and hopefully it becomes a very tough decision. We will not have a seven-man rotation, but hopefully we have some tough decisions to make.”Manager Tony La Russa agreed: “We hope we have that problem.”Katz discussed the state of the staff before Dylan Cease allowed seven hits and struck out nine in 5⅔ scoreless innings in a 3-0 victory in Game 1 of the doubleheader at Kauffman Stadium.White Sox starter Dylan Cease pitches during the first inning Tuesday, May 17, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (Charlie Riedel/AP)Cease improved to 4-1 with a 3.09 ERA and a major-league-leading 67 strikeouts.“He’s definitely taking some big steps,” Katz said. “And what’s exciting is there’s still more steps to be had. That’s kind of expected. He’s still a young pitcher.“He had a great year last year, he’s off to a great start right now, but there’s still things we’re trying to refine, trying to get consistent. But he’s growing every day, his confidence is growing every day, which is ultimately the biggest thing.”Sox starters entered Wednesday’s game with a 3.41 ERA, which ranked fifth in the American League. Michael Kopech’s 1.54 ERA stands out. The right-hander has made a smooth transition back to the rotation after spending most of last year as a reliever. He has 33 strikeouts in 35 innings.AdvertisementKopech is on the paternity leave list but is scheduled to start Saturday in New York against the Yankees.“When you go from relieving to starting, it’s something you’re always paying attention to and want to make sure that you’re not taxing him too hard,” Katz said. “We’ve been very cognizant of all his pitch counts so far, his ups, and we’re going to continue to do that.”White Sox starter Michael Kopech delivers to the Yankees on Sunday, May 15, 2022, at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)Katz has built a connection with Vince Velasquez, who pointed to the coach as a factor when signing with the Sox in March. Velasquez is 2-3 with a 5.53 ERA in six starts. He allowed one run in 10⅔ innings in wins against the Los Angeles Angels and Boston Red Sox before giving up seven runs in five innings in his last start Friday against the Yankees.Velasquez starts Thursday’s series finale in Kansas City.“His outings, every day, every time we get to see him work, we talk about some new things,” Katz said. “The challenge we have is we didn’t get a full spring training, we didn’t get an offseason to communicate and do all that. So it’s finding spots to talk, address, watch him throw. Him hearing me talk a little bit more about things and me seeing him work and just adding to everything.“It just takes time. I’m looking forward to (Thursday’s) outing after the last one, kind of building off that. The previous two were really good.”Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] Column: A crazy week for the White Sox shows off the many moods of manager Tony La Russa ]Dallas Keuchel followed up a solid outing against the Red Sox (two runs in six innings on May 8) with another against the Yankees (five shutout innings Saturday). He’ll start Friday’s series opener in New York.“He came into the spring and him being able to recapture the movement on his pitches, there was some stuff delivery-wise that he battled a little bit last year,” Katz said. “He’s done a nice job this year of repeating that, and when he does that, we know that his stuff moves the way he wants to, the ball gets to where he wants to, which enhances weak contact and mishit balls. “He’s just starting to get some momentum and it’s really nice to see the stuff we saw in spring all come together.”White Sox starter Johnny Cueto points to catcher Yasmani Grandal on Monday, May 16, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. (Jamie Squire / Getty Images)The Sox added another veteran to the mix Monday when Johnny Cueto made his Sox debut with two hits allowed in six shutout innings.“He was great,” Katz said. “The tempo is there, he attacks the strike zone, he’s going to shimmy, get hitters off balance. It was a lot of fun for the team to be able to see that. He keeps the defense ready to go because of how fast he’s working.“He’s a lot of fun to watch and he’s going to bring a lot of joy to this team.”

Sports

Rookie Christopher Morel’s special moment pumps life into the Chicago Cubs’ rebuild plan: ‘It’s so cool’

If the Chicago Cubs could bottle moments like Tuesday night at Wrigley Field, they wouldn’t have to worry so much about people calling this a rebuild. Christopher Morel’s bat-flipping celebration after homering in his first major-league at-bat, combined with Brandon Hughes’ five strikeouts in 1 ⅔ innings in his big-league debut, provided Cubs fans with hope the future might be brighter than imagined.AdvertisementThat’s what an infusion of youth can do.“It just brings that energy, that new energy,” pitcher Kyle Hendricks said before Wednesday’s series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates. “It’s having a good balance of both. We have so many good veteran guys around here now that bring the right energy from that side and that aspect.Advertisement“But seeing these young guys come up, kind of a deer-in-the-headlights (look) a little bit. They don’t know what to expect. They just go out and play and play so wholeheartedly and so natural. It’s just fun to see all that emotion come out of them.”ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 18The Cubs’ Christopher Morel receives an ice shower while being interviewed after the 7-0 victory over the Pirates on May 17, 2022, at Wrigley Field. Morel hit a pinch-hit home run in the eighth inning. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)Morel was in the starting lineup at third base Wednesday, still flying from the electric moment in the eighth inning Tuesday. The 22-year-old call-up from Double-A Tennessee knew when he stepped up that Willson Contreras had homered in his first at-bat in 2016.“I saw it on the scoreboard and I said to him, ‘Hey, I’m going to make my first at-bat a home run just like you,’ ” Morel said.The moment the ball left the bat, Contreras jumped out of the dugout like the Cubs had won the pennant. It was an instant flashback to June 19, 2016, at Wrigley, when he homered in his first major-league at-bat on Father’s Day against the Pirates.“It was amazing,” Contreras recalled Wednesday. “A good introduction for me in the big leagues.”Cubs rookie Christopher Morel hugs teammate Willson Contreras after a victory against the Pirates on Tuesday at Wrigley Field. Morel hit a pinch-hit home run in the eighth inning of the 7-0 win. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)Justin Steele chimed in, recalling watching the shot six years ago when he pitched for Class A South Bend.“Pretty sure me and Adbert (Alzolay) watched that home run together,” Steele told Contreras.Morel’s homer sparked a wild reaction from the crowd at Wrigley, which already was on its feet for the 3-2 pitch. He performed a semi-moonwalk out of the box while flipping his bat for what he insisted was the first time in his career.AdvertisementReally? His first-ever bat flip?“Like this, yes,” he said. “Last year I hit a walk-off and I flipped my bat, but not like this.”Morel became the ninth Cub to homer in his first major-league at-bat and the first since Contreras.Cubs rookie Christopher Morel, center, celebrates with teammates after a 7-0 victory against the Pirates on Tuesday at Wrigley Field. Morel hit a pinch-hit home run in the eighth inning in his first major-league at-bat. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)“I wasn’t thinking about it until it happened,” Hendricks said of the coincidence. “(Contreras) did it on the first pitch, of course. But we thought about it right away, especially Willson running out there giving him a hug. It was just an awesome, awesome moment for him. Going out there and doing that, it’s so cool to see things like that happen.”Contreras said he was waiting for Morel to “do something positive, either a blooper or a base hit.”Morel did something even better.Advertisement“Hitting a home run is pretty good,” Contreras said. “Almost nobody can do that in the big leagues.”Manager David Ross called it a moment Cubs fans will always remember and said he and pitching coach Tommy Hottovy had “swelling” in their eyes.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.“That’s what stories are made of, and I’ll never forget that,” Ross said. “It reminded me of Willson’s first at-bat, that emotion. And then I started laughing when he nearly missed first base, like Mark McGwire (after breaking the home run record).”The Cubs were riding a wave entering Wednesday night’s game, with a four-game winning streak and Marcus Stroman scheduled to return to the mound Thursday after his COVID-19-related IL stint. Closer David Robertson was cleared to return from his COVID-related absence Wednesday.Chicago Cubs player Christopher Morel celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a pinch-hit solo home run in the 8th inning of a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Tuesday, May 17, 2022. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)Team President Jed Hoyer doesn’t want his plan labeled a “rebuild,” a term the Cubs embraced a decade ago before it became associated with another word — tanking.But when kids such as Morel, Steele, Hughes and Keegan Thompson enjoy some success, “rebuild” doesn’t sound quite as offensive. Most Cubs fans, in fact, would prefer to watch unproven 22-year-olds develop at Wrigley than former prospects signed on the cheap or 30-something pitchers who can be moved at the trade deadline.Advertisement“We have a lot of good, young talent, and they are hungry,” Contreras said. “They bring a lot of positive energy around the clubhouse, which is always good to have.”Hendricks and Contreras helped establish the winning culture on the North Side in their early years, and both said they hope the younger players understand they’re here to keep that culture alive.“We’re trying to hold on to that,” Hendricks said. “And everybody that comes into this environment, we hope that’s what they feel.”