Author: staff

ATLANTA — Marcus Stroman’s rhythm still isn’t where he wants it.Four starts into the season, the Chicago Cubs right-hander continues to tinker with his mechanics, searching for extended consistency beyond a couple batters. Stroman was encouraged by keeping a slugging Atlanta Braves lineup largely in check over six innings Tuesday in his longest outing of the season.AdvertisementBut the Cubs offense never got going against left-hander Max Fried and the Braves bullpen in a 3-1 loss, their sixth in the last seven games. They finished with four hits, tallying just one in the final six innings.Here are three observations from Tuesday’s series opener at Truist Park.AdvertisementCubs starting pitcher Marcus Stroman delivers in the first inning of a game against the Braves on April 26, 2022. (Brynn Anderson/AP)By the time Stroman fired his 86th and final pitch, he had incorporated six different pitch types according to Statcast.None were better at generating strikes than his slider and sinker. The two pitches got eight and seven called strikes, respectively. Accounting for whiffs and foul balls, that combination accounted for 25 strikes. Stroman largely was effective locating his slider in the bottom third of the zone while he worked his sinker all over, keeping Atlanta’s hitters guessing.“There’s kind of that old school accessing different sides of the play — when you can run it one way and then bring it back the other way with the slider it’s tough to pick a spot,” manager David Ross said, “so he’s doing that really well.”[ [Don’t miss] What makes Chicago Cubs pitcher Marcus Stroman tick? Mindfulness, mental well-being and an endless amount of outside interests. ]While he acknowledged making strides from his last start without getting into specifics, Stroman indicated he isn’t as in sync as he needs to be. Even so, Stroman delivered a quality start by going six innings and holding the Braves to three runs (two earned) without walking a batter.“I can tell by the action on my sinker when my mechanics are on, and same thing with my slider,” Stroman said. “That’s what’s frustrating is I’ll be great for a hitter and then I won’t feel like that the next hitter. So it’s just consistency right now. And I’m getting close, but I’m not where I want to be.”The rookie reliever has experienced plenty of learning moments through his first seven big-league appearances.But as he showed in the seventh inning Tuesday, when the 24-year-old right-hander is locked in, hitters struggle to make contact. Roberts struck out the side, retiring Adam Duvall on a cutter and uncorking two low sliders that got Travis Demeritte and Dansby Swanson to whiff.“We trust in the stuff,” Ross said. “I think he’s kind of growing into being a guy that has to continue to have success out there and believe in himself and have an outing like tonight. To be able to execute those pitches, when he’s in the zone and attacking hitters, his stuff plays.”AdvertisementAfter learning a new slider grip late in spring training, Roberts is trying to consistently harness the weapon. His evolving development is important for the Cubs, and as Roberts gains Ross’ trust in bigger moments, outings like Tuesday’s can go a long way in building his confidence and taking another step forward.Drew Smyly envisioned flashing his new bling on the Cubs’ flight to Milwaukee on Thursday night. Chris Martin hadn’t thought too far ahead of how he planned to wear the ring. The two Cubs pitchers — and former Braves teammates — received their 2021 World Series championship rings during a pregame ceremony.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.Braves manager Brian Snitker and pitcher Charlie Morton presented the duo their rings, which represented the first World Series title for both. Smyly appeared in 29 games (23 starts) for the Braves last season, finishing his lone season in Atlanta with a 4.48 ERA. Martin, who spent 2½ years with the organization, posted a 3.95 ERA in 46 games out of the bullpen.“It’s just the ultimate goal as a player — it’s a lot of individual stats and whatnot in this game, but it’s really hard to win a championship. So to be able to be on that team and be a small part of it, it’s pretty neat,” Smyly told the Tribune. “There’s a lot of really, really good players that I have never been, never won on so it is pretty special just to have that checked off.“It’s going to be with you forever. Maybe my kids’ kids will have it one day. It’s neat, not many people have one.”As a two-time World Series champ, Ross understands what a ring ceremony, even a small one like Tuesday’s, means for a player. Ross rarely wears either of his World Series title rings he got for 2013 in Boston and 2016 in Chicago — “By the time you shake everybody’s hand at an event, I’ve got my No. 3 indented inside of my finger” — but he appreciates hearing fans’ stories about where and who they were with watching the title-clinching game.Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] A minor setback to Andrelton Simmons’ right shoulder continues to test the Chicago Cubs infield depth ]“The hardware is nice to get, probably the memories and things that have stuck with me are more important, like the brotherhood that you create with that group of people and the history that you make, that will never go away. And the banners that fly that you represent I think are really powerful moments,” Ross said.Martin and Smyly each have two kids who are too young to remember their career-changing moments with Atlanta. Martin made sure to get photos of them on the field after beating the Houston Astros in six games.“Those are some things that are really cool for them to look back on,” Martin said to the Tribune. “Hopefully they can be proud of what dad did.”

It was an unforgettable sight but one Connor Murphy couldn’t fully recall at first.During a March 12 game in Ottawa, Senators winger Parker Kelly drove into the Hawks defenseman in the corner just above the goal line, and the force of the collision slammed Murphy’s head into the glass. Murphy lay motionless for several minutes before medical staff carted him off on a stretcher.Advertisement“I didn’t regain memory until I was already in the training room, so I didn’t remember anything that happened,” he said Tuesday. “I just remember getting on the ice for that shift.”Scary scene in Ottawa as Connor Murphy is stretchered off the ice after taking a hit from Parker Kelly that sent him awkwardly into the boards. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/bd5xYeQtI6— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 13, 2022

Murphy hasn’t played since, going on long-term injured reserve under concussion protocols.AdvertisementBut he has been skating by himself and with teammates in recent weeks, and he addressed media for the first time to discuss the experience and his recovery.“Thinking about when you gain memory, you think you’re going to come to and be in shock, but I was pretty calm,” Murphy said after practicing with Kirby Dach and Jujhar Khaira — two other Hawks sidelined by injuries — among other teammates. “They told me right away what happened when I asked again. I didn’t want to see the hit right away, but I wasn’t too rattled when I saw that either. (You) understand it’s part of the game.”“I didn’t regain memory until I was already in the training room, so I didn’t remember anything that happened.”—Connor Murphy on Ottawa Senator Parker Kelly’s hit in March, when he was stretchered off the ice and ultimately landed him in concussion protocol pic.twitter.com/qS7aEfKGM9— Phillip Thompson (@_phil_thompson) April 26, 2022

Murphy said he was more concerned about giving his family and friends a scare. “So I was fortunate that was the case and just hated they had to see that.”Kelly later said he “felt bad” about the hit and sought out Murphy at the time: “He accepted my apology.””Obviously felt pretty bad. You don’t want to see anyone go out on a stretcher. I got his number from a buddy… he accepted my apology.”Parker Kelly says he reached out to Connor Murphy after their incident this past weekend. pic.twitter.com/Rx3ysPIC91— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 14, 2022

Murphy described some of the symptoms he felt.“I had some headaches and just memory stuff and then the typical feeling off,” he said. “There’s just some of the typical cloudy feelings you get from concussions.”Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.But now, a month and a half later, “I feel good physically, really good actually,” Murphy said.“The hard thing has been with the head stuff, there’s not enough research to know for sure if you’re 100% or when that is. You just kind of look at history and what the symptoms were like and how close together certain concussions were and the severity of each one of them.Advertisement“(I’m) lucky to have a great medical staff here that’s been helping a lot along the way and gotten me to feeling good now.”Even so, coach Derek King shut down Murphy and Dach (right shoulder sprain) for the season this week.“Yeah, I would love to have them, but I don’t think that’s what our game plan is,” King said Monday. “I think all the guys who are hurt, it’s more just, when they leave here, they know that they’re OK to skate, work out and have a good summer instead of being halfway through summer and you’re still not cleared and you don’t know where you are.”Murphy said one of the most difficult parts of his absence has been watching the Hawks struggle without him, including an 0-6-2 stretch.“Not having the (two) games left to play (in the season) is frustrating,” he said, “and having to see your team go through a couple of losing streaks … and not being able to be around it to help at all is hard.” Players skate past Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy (5) as he lies injured on the ice after a collision into the boards with Senators left wing Parker Kelly on March 12, 2022, in Ottawa. (Justin Tang/AP)

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles seemed pretty relaxed Tuesday afternoon. Two days before Poles’ first NFL draft as a GM, he expressed confidence in his team’s preparation.“The hay is in the barn,” Poles said. “When you go into draft day, it’s a little bit more calm than everyone thinks. It’s a little more quiet.”AdvertisementPoles said he’s satisfied with the way the Bears draft board has come together and how his scouts, coaches and front-office talent evaluators have met to sort through the hundreds of prospects the team will consider selecting. And even in a heightened role as the man responsible for making each selection, Poles didn’t seem to be feeling much pressure.“The responsibility of making the pick? Yeah, it’s bigger,” he said with a smile. “But at the same time, you rely on the work everyone put in to make the right decision. And that was the cool thing about doing a lot of these mock-up drafts. We feel comfortable with the way this thing is going to play out.”AdvertisementWith the draft set to begin Thursday in Las Vegas, here’s the inside slant on three notable storylines.ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 24New Bears coach Matt Eberflus and new general manager Ryan Poles pose with a helmet after being introduced on Jan. 31, 2022, at Halas Hall. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)As the top 10 of last year’s draft unfolded, Ryan Poles found himself especially intrigued with what the Cincinnati Bengals might do. With hopes of becoming a general manager one day, Poles tried to put himself in the decision maker’s chair of other teams to consider various strategies and sharpen his draft philosophies.The Bengals had arrived at an interesting fork in the road. They landed their franchise quarterback a year earlier, selecting Joe Burrow with the No. 1 pick, and he flourished with 2,688 passing yards and 13 touchdowns in 10 starts.But Burrow’s rookie season was cut short when he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in Week 11, a brutal injury that came as he was setting in the pocket to throw deep against the Washington Football Team. In his first NFL season, Burrow was hit 77 times and sacked 32 times in 10 games.Heading into last spring’s draft, the Bengals had a critical decision to make with the No. 5 pick. One road sign seemed to be directing them toward adding offensive line help to better support Burrow up front with a standout left tackle such as Oregon’s Penei Sewell.Another, however, pointed toward star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, Burrow’s teammate for two seasons at LSU. Adding playmaking ammunition to the offense certainly made sense to help accelerate Burrow’s development.In his role as the Kansas City Chiefs assistant director of player personnel, Poles knew what he would have done. Without hesitation, he would have selected Sewell and never looked back.[ [Don’t miss] When do the Chicago Bears pick? What do the mock drafts say? Everything you need to know about the 2022 NFL draft. ]“I’m an O-line guy,” he said in late January. “I believe it starts there. … So I would have started up front.”AdvertisementPerhaps that was just the former player in Poles coming through. Before entering the NFL scouting ranks in 2009, he was a standout guard at Boston College and got a training camp look from the Bears.Still, when the Bengals snagged Chase, it didn’t stun Poles. Nor did it bother him. To each their own, he thought. He understood the attraction of the built-in chemistry between Burrow and his former college teammate. Poles just would have started elsewhere.The Bengals, of course, could have been right either way. But they certainly won’t regret picking Chase, who exploded for 81 catches, 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns as a rookie, becoming a major catalyst in the team’s surprising run to the Super Bowl.From afar, Poles took mental notes.“The beautiful thing,” he said, “is we can learn from these (other) teams to see that there are more ways to do it than just doing what I said. So we just learn.”As fate would have it, in his first draft as Bears general manager this week, Poles faces a similar “Choose Your Own Adventure” dilemma. The Bears have a second-year quarterback in Justin Fields who also could use a sturdier wall from his offensive line as well as more playmaking firepower in his receiving corps.AdvertisementExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 120Injured Bears quarterback Justin Fields walks the field on Jan. 2, 2022, before the home finale against the Giants at Soldier Field. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)So down which aisle might the 36-year-old GM steer his cart first?Unlike the Bengals, Poles won’t have a top-10 selection to address one of those needs. Instead — barring an unlikely trade up — the Bears will wait until the seventh pick of the second round (No. 39) before they make their first selection.Still, in the quest to get Fields the support he needs, Poles can have his personal lean while also being open-minded to alternatives. His preference, he emphasized in January, would be to fortify the line first. “I think that’s first and foremost,” he said.But that’s also not a rigid stance.“When I mention the Bengals, they took a different approach,” Poles said. “I was critical of it. At the same time, it worked out pretty well, right? So I think the main thing is you support the quarterback. If that’s giving him weapons, giving him a line, (you do it).”[ [Don’t miss] Who will the Chicago Bears select? Brad Biggs’ NFL mock draft 3.0. ]For what it’s worth, the Bengals also drafted three offensive linemen last spring after picking Chase. They took Clemson’s Jackson Carman in the middle of Round 2, then used Day 3 selections on East Carolina’s D’Ante Smith and Georgia’s Trey Hill.AdvertisementCarman, a left tackle in college, quickly moved inside to guard and made six starts as a rookie on the right side but wasn’t overly impressive. Smith spent two months on injured reserve with a knee injury and played in only two games, including an emergency start at left tackle in the regular-season finale. Hill made spot starts in Weeks 6, 13 and 18 on the interior of the offensive line.After months of draft meetings at Halas Hall, Poles will have his Plan A ready. He’ll eagerly watch the first round unfold Thursday night with hopes that the board breaks just right for the Bears’ overall needs. The best-case scenario would be having his choice between a promising wide receiver and a highly regarded offensive lineman.Most draft experts expect about six receivers to be selected in the first round. Six or seven offensive linemen also could be gone by No. 39.Simply put, Poles won’t have the kind of win-win choice the Bengals had between Sewell and Chase. But he should have solid options as he makes his first draft pick as Bears GM. Tulsa offensive lineman Tyler Smith or Penn State receiver Jahan Dotson? Western Michigan receiver Skyy Moore or Washington State tackle Abraham Lucas?Poles also has last year’s reflections to draw on, hopeful that the Bengals’ faster-than-expected breakthrough in 2021 offers a beacon of hope.“It should get teams like the Bears excited that if we do things the right way, we can make those steps and be a championship-caliber team (soon),” Poles said.AdvertisementExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 46Players stretch during warmups at Bears minicamp at Halas Hall on April 20, 2022. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)When word trickled through the NFL last week that San Francisco 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel had requested a trade, Ryan Poles’ radar went off. Naturally.Poles’ Bears, after all, desperately need help at that position. And the mere idea of adding a player who had 1,770 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns last season created instant intrigue.Poles also has stayed on top of similar trade buzz surrounding the Tennessee Titans’ A.J. Brown, the Seattle Seahawks’ DK Metcalf and the Washington Commanders’ Terry McLaurin, all standout pass catchers entering the final year of their rookie contracts and staring at uncertain futures based on the recent financial explosion of the wide receiver market.“It’s always intriguing (to consider),” Poles said Thursday at Halas Hall.But …(Yes, Bears fans, this is an all-caps, bold, underlined BUT.)Advertisement“This goes back to what I’ve talked about before in terms of staying disciplined,” Poles said. “I truly believe in homegrown talent. I truly believe in drafting the right players and developing them here. And that will help us in the long run.”Quick translation: Don’t expect Poles to make any headline-grabbing trades for a top-tier receiver in the coming months. Do expect him, however, to take at least one big swing — and maybe two or three — on a talented receiver during this weekend’s draft.“I would love to address that (need) on Day 2,” Poles said earlier this spring.[ [Don’t miss] Column: David Montgomery is embracing change at Halas Hall. How will the Chicago Bears running back fit the new scheme? ]He later qualified the wish with a promise to stay disciplined.“We’re going to be patient,” Poles said. “If it’s not there, we’re not going to force it either. This class (of receivers) is pretty deep. So I feel comfortable.”The Bears don’t have a first-round pick, taking them out of play for the top five receivers in this draft: USC’s Drake London, Alabama’s Jameson Williams, Ohio State’s Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave and Arkansas’ Treylon Burks. But Poles should be able to move through the receiver buffet line in Rounds 2 and 3 on Friday night with plenty of appealing prospects available.AdvertisementPerhaps standouts such as Penn State’s Jahan Dotson or North Dakota State’s Christian Watson will be sitting there. Western Michigan’s Skyy Moore, Cincinnati’s Alec Pierce, Alabama’s John Metchie III, South Alabama’s Jalen Tolbert and Memphis’ Calvin Austin III almost certainly will be available when the Bears pick for the first time.Even better for Poles? In recent years, it has become clear that finding star receivers after Round 1 is realistic.Last season, for example, 13 receivers finished the season with at least 1,100 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Nine of them were drafted after the first round, including eight taken outside the top 50. That’s an eye-opening list that includes Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp and five-time Pro Bowl selection Davante Adams. Also in that fraternity are Stefon Diggs, Keenan Allen, Tyler Lockett and Diontae Johnson.The Bears’ leading receiver last season was Darnell Mooney, who had 81 catches, 1,055 yards and four touchdowns in his second season after being drafted in the fifth round out of Tulane.Adams became the highest-paid receiver in league history last month when he signed a five-year, $141.25 million extension with the Las Vegas Raiders after being traded from the Green Bay Packers. He was the No. 53 pick by the Packers in 2014 and generated only moderate buzz when he was selected. He ran the 40-yard dash at the combine in a less-than-impressive 4.59 seconds. Eight receivers were picked before him. And the Packers had to convince outsiders that Adams could develop into a real weapon for Aaron Rodgers.[ [Sign up] Get our Chicago Bears alerts on your phone, desktop and inbox ]“You go by the tape,” then-Packers receivers coach Edgar Bennett said on draft weekend. “You see a guy getting open. You see a guy at the top of his routes creating separation and creating windows for the quarterback to throw the ball in. And when there is a tight situation and more of a competitive-type throw, you see a guy with strong hands and physicality who can go up and make the tough catch.”AdvertisementBears fans know the rest of that story and hope one day their favorite team can write a similar tale of success.Less than a week after Adams signed his new deal with the Raiders, Tyreek Hill overtook him as the highest-paid receiver with a four-year deal with the Miami Dolphins that will pay him an average of $30 million per season. Hill lasted until Day 3 and pick No. 165 of the 2016 draft, in large part because of character concerns. Poles was the college scouting director in Kansas City when the Chiefs drafted him.In the right environment, with the right developmental plan — and in a best-case scenario, paired with a superstar quarterback — real magic can happen for receivers who slip through the cracks a bit during the draft.In addition to teams finding star receivers later in the draft more regularly, young receivers are more capable than ever of having an instant impact. Ja’Marr Chase led all rookie receivers last season with 81 catches, 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns. His former LSU teammate Justin Jefferson set the bar for Class of 2020 receivers with 108 receptions, 1,616 yards and 10 touchdowns.In all, 17 receivers who were in their first three seasons topped 750 yards in 2021. Poles attributes the NFL readiness of younger receiving prospects to the explosion of development all the way down through the youth ranks, with 7-on-7 camps and showcase events across the country.“And the game has changed,” Poles added. “We’re just throwing the ball at a very high rate. If you look at the personnel (groupings) that are on the field, sometimes you’re rolling out with four receivers instead of just two or three. Now more guys have opportunities to make plays.”AdvertisementIt’s Poles’ job to find more of those guys. His next big chance arrives this week. ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 30Virginia McCaskey, the daughter of George Halas, took over as majority owner of the Chicago Bears in 1983. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)During 13 seasons with the Chiefs, Ryan Poles experienced the draft from many vantage points, holding five roles under three general managers. This week he’ll be in the driver’s seat at Halas Hall, drawing from a deep library of experiences that helped him mold certain draft philosophies.But just how eager will Poles be to push the Bears into the trade mosh pit of draft weekend? And in which direction will he prefer to go? Since being hired in January, Poles has made it clear he is far from content with the Bears’ draft wallet, owning only six picks heading into his first draft. The Bears have two second-round selections and a third-rounder Friday night and one fifth-round pick and two selections in the sixth Saturday.No one should be surprised if Poles leaves the weekend with a draft class larger than six players. The first-time GM seems eager to find ways to draft eight or nine prospects to fortify a Bears roster loaded with holes.Poles’ predecessor at Halas Hall, Ryan Pace, was known for being aggressive on draft weekend with a propensity to move up for players he couldn’t live without. In seven drafts, Pace traded up 10 times. His biggest draft failure was the expensive jump up in 2017 from No. 3 to No. 2 to take quarterback Mitch Trubisky.[ [Don’t miss] As Roquan Smith gets acquainted with a new regime, he ‘absolutely’ wants to stay with the Chicago Bears long term ]“As an organization, we had conviction on this quarterback and his special attributes,” Pace said the night of that trade. “And we did what we had to do to get him. His potential to be a championship quarterback is all we focused on.”AdvertisementThat deal, as has been well-documented, didn’t work out as planned. Neither did trading up for receiver Anthony Miller a year later. But Pace also made aggressive moves up to land safety Eddie Jackson, running back David Montgomery, receiver Darnell Mooney and quarterback Justin Fields.Sometimes it’s about timing. Sometimes it’s about need. Sometimes it’s about the way a draft board is unfolding.Poles was asked Thursday whether he could articulate his philosophy for when it is prudent to trade up.“It comes back down to your board,” he said. “There are different values on your board. And if you have certain players who are in a certain section of the board and it makes sense for your team at that time, then that’s something you have to do at the right time.”[ [Don’t miss] The Arlington Heights Bears? Here’s what to know about the team’s possible move from Chicago’s Soldier Field. ]In the last seven drafts, the Chiefs traded up more than the Bears, moving forward 11 times while dealing back just twice. Most notably, they traded up 17 slots in 2017 to pick quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who has been a league MVP and a Super Bowl champion in four years as a starter.In that same draft, the Chiefs traded up in Round 3 for running back Kareem Hunt. But other trade-up moves during that span — for players such as receiver Jehu Chesson and defensive lineman Breeland Speaks — had a much worse return on investment.AdvertisementThere is always a caveat emptor warning attached to trading up in the NFL draft. And with the Bears needing to solidify their depth chart on both sides of the ball and having limited opportunities to do so, Poles might not be eager to trade up in his first draft.“You have to know where your team is at and how many picks you have,” he said Thursday. “And it’s a big-picture decision. Because there is an effect of losing picks to move up and get that player.”Instead, Poles figures to be far more motivated to shift the gear into “R,” seeking openings to add picks through calculated moves back.“The biggest thing,” Poles said, “is how many players you have (slotted) at a certain level. Can you move back and get a quality player at that next spot? And then you also take into consideration that when you get kicked other picks, that’s an additional player. So where is that pick located in the draft? And can I still get a quality player at that level as well?”As the Bears have done draft walk-throughs this week at Halas Hall, Poles has made sure his draft room and support staff are ready. They have staged fake trade calls and readied their draft charts, working through communication processes and addressing any hiccups before Thursday night arrives.At some point this weekend, Poles figures to be on the phone with an opportunity to make a deal. This year, though, it seems far more probable that any such moves the Bears will make will be down the board rather than up.

The issue of ethics is once again taking a central role in the race for Cook County assessor as first-term incumbent Fritz Kaegi is blasting his main opponent Kari Steele over her husband’s work as a lobbyist for an international development company that could benefit from decisions made by the assessor’s office.Ethics for years has been a key campaign issue in races for county assessor, an office responsible for accurately and fairly assessing the value of the county’s 1.8 million properties. As an outsider four years ago, Kaegi defeated Assessor Joseph Berrios, who also was head of the Cook County Democratic Party, in part by pointing to Berrios’ history of taking campaign contributions from property tax appeal attorneys and noting Berrios hired relatives and friends in the office.AdvertisementToday, Kaegi is the county Democratic Party-backed candidate and is attacking Steele and her husband, Mazonne “Maze” Jackson, saying Jackson’s work as a lobbyist for a real estate firm could compromise her role as assessor. Steele is now president of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation Board of Greater Chicago.Steele has countered that Kaegi has not lived up to his promises that he’d reform the assessor’s office by making property assessments more equitable and transparent, an issue bolstered by “The Tax Divide,” a Chicago Tribune and ProPublica Illinois series that found assessments under Berrios placed an outsize portion of the property tax burden on the poor.AdvertisementThe issue of Kaegi raising concerns about Steele came to a head following Steele’s answers during a Crain’s Chicago Business podcast in which she declined to promise that Jackson would stop lobbying on behalf of real estate developers were she to assume the office. City and county lobbying records, as well as a Better Government Association story, have detailed that Jackson’s firm, The Intelligence Group, has one lobbying client, real estate company Onni Group.Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi and challenger and Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Board President Kari Steele. (Erin Hooley and Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)“Commissioner Steele’s unwillingness to say that she will ensure her spouse eliminates his conflicts of interest related to his lobbying is troubling,” said Kaegi campaign spokeswoman Alicia Webb. “Cook County residents deserve to know whether Mr. Jackson will continue lobbying for Onni Group and other real estate developers who may seek assessments before the office she seeks to control.”In recent interviews with the Tribune, both Steele and Jackson said Jackson has not lobbied the assessor’s office and vowed he would not if Steele wins.“I can’t state that enough,” Steele said. “As you see, I just keep saying he doesn’t lobby the assessor’s office or seek official action.”She added the idea that Jackson’s lobbying could pose an ethical issue for her seeking office was dredged up by Kaegi’s campaign to “deflect that his responsibilities aren’t being executed.” Jackson also said the criticism was “crossing the line.”“Quite frankly, in some cases, it’s offensive … the fact that she could not be able to make decisions as a woman without me being of some level of influence,” he said.Sign up for The Spin to get the top stories in politics delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons.But Reform for Illinois Executive Director Alisa Kaplan said the concern is valid, and Steele’s measures might be insufficient should Jackson continue lobbying for Onni Group and other developers. That’s because even the appearance of partiality could be problematic, Kaplan said.Advertisement“When it comes to corruption or bias, appearance can be as damaging to the public’s trust as reality,” Kaplan said. “Fairly or not, the public usually sees elected officials and their spouses as a unit — as having the same financial interests. That could make it hard for Commissioner Steele to draw a line between her work and her husband’s.”The issue of elected officials whose spouses work as lobbyists has also become an issue in the race for Illinois secretary of state, where City Clerk Anna Valencia has faced questions about whether her husband’s lobbying activities have interfered with her role in public office.When asked whether it was warranted to expect her husband to stop lobbying for real estate firms, Steele said, “I wouldn’t say it’s unfair for anyone to have that thought, but I would eliminate any conflict of interest or appearance of conflict of interest” by signing an executive order barring any family member of her staffers from lobbying or seeking official action from the office.Kaegi’s administration implemented a similar order that bars assessor’s office employees from participating in decisions that could benefit them, a relative or a private organization in which they have interest.Steele also said she would install a full-time ethics officer and recuse herself from decisions involving Jackson’s clients, though she was less specific on how other situations, such as assessments for property owners who work for Jackson’s clients, should be handled.“I will look into that,” Steele said, “but if there was any appearance of conflict of interest, I will recuse myself.”AdvertisementKaegi’s campaign said the assessor already employs an ethics official, though that person also serves as the office’s legal director — “as is common in government agencies,” assessor’s office spokeswoman Angelina Romero said.Though Onni Group could benefit from decisions made by the assessor’s office, Jackson said the firm’s interests would not overlap with the mission of the assessor’s office.“My client Onni is my only real estate client, and they don’t ask for grants or set-asides, or any specific legislative action,” Jackson said. “My relationship with Onni does not deal in the relationship of taxes. … Quite frankly, that is an area that I don’t really understand very much.”In a statement, Onni Group’s chief of staff, Duncan Wlodarczak, said “we are proud of what we have been able to accomplish in Chicago with Maze’s assistance. That stated, Maze’s scope of work with Onni does not, has never, and will not involve the assessor’s office.”While Jackson said he would not lobby the assessor’s office, he declined to make a similar pledge for lobbying the Cook County Board, the Chicago City Council or the Illinois General Assembly, all of which can pass legislation related to property taxes.“I would just tell you that again, if it is deemed by the ethics officer that it would be a conflict, I would without question recuse myself from it,” Jackson said.AdvertisementJackson also accused Kaegi of being hypocritical. He said four years ago he endorsed Kaegi when he ran for assessor and even helped host a fundraiser in Kaegi’s efforts to defeat Berrios. Jackson even shared a post on social media of a flyer for the fundraiser and noted that at the time of the event — October 16, 2018 — he was lobbying for Onni.“It’s important that we recognize that while he is pointing the finger, he should be looking back at himself because during that same exact time, I was raising funds for him and representing the same company, and he didn’t find a conflict then,” Jackson said.ayin@chicagotribune.com

Dear Amy: Recently, I was in a car accident involving a young man who tried to commit suicide by jumping into my car’s path.My 2-year-old was in the car with me but (thankfully) doesn’t seem to have noticed when I hit the man.AdvertisementThe man survived and I found out (through the police who arrived on the scene) that he had jumped into another car’s path a few minutes before.I was simply the next car to come along.AdvertisementThe man admitted to both the paramedics and the police that he jumped in front of my car with the intent of killing himself. Several officers tried to reassure me that I wasn’t in trouble and that I did nothing wrong.Amy, I can’t stop running the events through my head (and, unfortunately, I am having to repeat myself and relive it in dealing with my insurance company).I feel like I’m drowning in what-ifs.I think therapy would be beneficial to help me with this traumatic event, but I don’t know where to start.Could you steer me toward some resources?– What-ifDear What-if: Traumatic stress is a normal reaction to an abnormal event. Your brain will have its own way of processing this accident, and your brain can also rewire itself again to heal.Researching your question, I read harrowing accounts of train conductors involved in hitting people who have jumped (or been pushed) onto the tracks. One former operator whose train struck a man was quoted: “As cruel as it makes it sound, for the individual [who is hit by the train] — it’s over. It’s just beginning for the train operator.”AdvertisementThe emotional effects of this sort of unavoidable accident can persist, and can sometimes manifest in physical symptoms.Because your young child was in the car at the time, I assume your response might be even more complicated – such relief that everyone survived the accident – but guilt that it happened at all, and fear that it might happen again.Guided desensitizing therapy (perhaps returning to the spot and proceeding through safety), might help. EMDR therapy (using eye movement to aid the brain’s recovery) might work for you.A daily meditation practice (along with treatment) could help you to breathe through your rumination. I highly recommend it.You should see a trauma specialist. Your police department’s victims’ services program or victim’s advocate should have a list of local therapists who could work with you.Psychologytoday.com has a useful database of therapists and support groups, searchable by location.AdvertisementDear Amy: I am the mother of two teen daughters, and would love advice on how to help them with a very annoying and inappropriate question they receive quite often (and started receiving in the pre-teen years): “Do you have a boyfriend?”I don’t understand why this is of interest to so many people, and why they think it’s appropriate to ask, regardless of how well they know them, or when they are in front of other people, etc.If our daughters answer “no,” to this question, it seems to only prolong the misery with more questions and statements, like “Why not?” or “I don’t believe you!”My daughters haven’t found a way to handle the awkward position when so many people seem to regard it as perfectly normal casual conversation, and they want to be respectful to adults.Or maybe we are being overly sensitive, and it IS perfectly reasonable to ask a teenager about their romantic life?– MomAdvertisementDear Mom: Gak, I remember this question from my own teenhood! And, as the never-dating high school kid, the question was both intrusive and (bonus!) a surefire way to feel less-than.Assure your girls that adults tend to ask this because they want to connect, but don’t know how. They’re likely not even particularly interested in the answer.This annoyance will soon be followed by the also-challenging “where are you going to college” question.Suggest that your teens find a way to laugh this off, and then distract with a question of their own: “Haha – only my Instagram followers really know what I’m up to. Did you date in high school?”Dear Amy: Your question from “Worried,” who had started excessively hoarding food in response to the pandemic, inspired me to write.Ask AmyDailyNo-nonsense advice for better living delivered to your inbox every morning. For a limited time, sign up for the Ask Amy newsletter and get the book “Ask Amy: Essential Wisdom from America’s Favorite Advice Columnist” for $5.When Worried gets their hoarding under control I urge them and others to consider donating to a food bank.AdvertisementDonations have been down at many of our food banks, and they could use the help.– Overstocked, TooDear Overstocked: Great advice. Thank you!Got a question for Amy? Enter it here and we’ll send it to her.Sign up here to receive the Ask Amy newsletter to get advice e-mailed to your inbox every morning, and for a limited time — get the book “Ask Amy: Essential Wisdom from America’s Favorite Advice Columnist” for $5.©2021 Amy Dickinson.

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez hit a routine grounder to shortstop Tim Anderson, but first baseman José Abreu dropped the low throw and was charged with an error.The fourth-inning miscue got the ball rolling on a two-run rally for the Royals.AdvertisementThat sums up how the last week has gone for the Chicago White Sox, who dropped their eighth straight in a 6-0 loss Tuesday at Guaranteed Rate Field.“You’ve got to hang in,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “There were a couple misplays here and there. Then we made a couple of great plays later to show we’re still playing. It shows you what we’re capable of.Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] What’s the latest on Eloy Jiménez, Yoán Moncada and Joe Kelly? GM Rick Hahn updates the White Sox injuries. ]“The biggest problem was not throwing the ball over the plate. Wind blowing in, there were some balls that weren’t going anywhere. We walked 11 guys. It was just a night where we didn’t have command, and their pitchers did.”The Sox have struggled defensively and at the plate during the slide. Both issues popped up again in Tuesday’s series opener along with an inability to consistently throw strikes.The Sox were blanked for the first time in 2022. They have scored three or fewer runs in 10 of their last 11 games.Abreu and Anderson committed errors, giving the Sox a major-league-high 20 this season. They’ve committed an error in 15 of 16 games and nine straight, their longest streak of sloppiness since making an error in 10 consecutive games from June 24 to July 3, 2017.The 11 walks were a season high and matched their most since Sept. 20, 2020, in Cincinnati.That combination led to their first eight-game losing streak since June 14-22, 2018.“I see it in the dugout, they’re getting upset when they should be upset,” La Russa said. “They’re trying to force things because they don’t like the way it’s going. They get frustrated when they don’t play as good as they should. All that’s part of it, the heart and the guts are intact. It’s not fun. It’s tough to take.“I’m sure the fans are not happy, but neither is the club. Everything else about the way we’re going about it — the caring, the pressing — if you have talent like this and you have to get after guys to get started or they’re walking around smiling or not working, then you’ve got the wrong people. We’ve got the right people. So we’ll be all right. The sooner the better, though, because we’re not having any fun.”Advertisement[ [Don’t miss] Column: Was the White Sox’s ‘(bleep) week’ a blip or a trend? It’s up to Tony La Russa to get them back on track. ]Sox starter Dallas Keuchel allowed two unearned runs on two hits with five walks and two strikeouts in four-plus innings.“Tonight it started with me,” Keuchel said. “I’d like to have a little bit better efficiency.”Both unearned runs came in the fourth. Perez scored on an infield hit by Bobby Witt Jr. when third baseman Jake Burger couldn’t field the ball cleanly.“I think out of peripheral I saw Witt pretty far down the line, and it probably was what caused the miscue a little bit,” Burger said. “I have to be better there. My only play there is at home plate with (Perez) running. Obviously a tough play, but I have to do better.”Carlos Santana, who reached on a walk, scored on a grounder to first.The Royals broke the game open with four runs in the sixth. The Sox surrendered three hits, including a two-run single by Santana, and walked four in the inning.AdvertisementThe Royals’ Whit Merrifield, left, and Andrew Benintendi (16) celebrate after both scored on a single by Carlos Santana in the sixth inning Tuesday, April 26, 2022, at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)The wildness carried over from Sunday, when the Sox walked nine in a 6-4 loss to the Minnesota Twins in 10 innings. The Sox have allowed at least nine walks in consecutive games for the first time since June 22-23, 1996, when they walked 10 Seattle Mariners the first day and nine the next day.Meanwhile, the Sox once again couldn’t get much going offensively. They were limited to five hits, two by Burger, and went 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position.Royals starter Daniel Lynch allowed two hits and struck out seven in six innings.“We win and lose as a team,” Burger said. “All we can do is show up again (Wednesday) and get going. That’s the name of the game. There’s a reason why there’s 162 of them.”The Sox are hitting .171 (12 for 70) with runners in scoring position during their last 13 games and have a .194 average (37 for 191) with runners on base this season.White Sox manager Tony La Russa stands in the dugout after pulling starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel in the fifth inning Tuesday, April 26, 2022, at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)“Stretches like this happen during the season, more often than not, even for clubs that finish in first place,” La Russa said. “I can attest to that. The reality is it’s a real fine edge in the competition. It’s not like it’s real lopsided and you get a little funky and it’s fine. You get on the wrong side of it and it’s hard to win a game.Advertisement“I don’t question the talent, don’t question the caring. We just have to execute better. Not get frustrated and get away from the ABCs of what we have to do. And keep pulling together, as corny as it sounds — win together, lose together, never give in, never give up. All that stuff, that’s how you get through six months.“Same thing if we were winning eight in a row right now. Start walking around like we got it made, the game will slap you. At this level it’s mostly between the ears. The ears, the heart, the guts. And we need to have some success to get it rolling. Like (Wednesday) afternoon.”

Illinois residents who have appeared in a photograph on the Google Photos app within the last seven years may be eligible for a cut of a $100 million class-action privacy settlement reached by Google this month.The lawsuit alleges Google’s face grouping tool, which sorts faces in the Google Photos app by similarity, runs afoul of Illinois’ biometric privacy law. The law requires companies to get user consent for the use of such technologies. AdvertisementThe settlement was filed in Cook County Circuit Court April 14, and Judge Anna M. Loftus issued an order granting preliminary approval of the agreement Monday.The lawsuit was first filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in March 2016. The plaintiffs filed suit in state court in 2019 after a judge found they lacked standing to pursue their claims in federal court.AdvertisementIf a final order is approved in the case, Illinois residents who appeared in a photograph in Google Photos between May 1, 2015, and the date of the settlement’s preliminary approval would be eligible to take part in the deal. While the amount of the payments will depend on how many people file claims, attorneys estimate each class member will receive between $200 and $400, according to the agreement.“We’re pleased to resolve this matter relating to specific laws in Illinois, and we remain committed to building easy-to-use controls for our users,” Google spokesperson José Castañeda said in a statement Tuesday.Castañeda said Google Photos users in Illinois would be prompted to provide opt-in consent to face grouping in the coming weeks. Those changes will also be gradually rolled out across the U.S., he said. Users can choose to turn face grouping off, in which case face groups will be deleted from their accounts.Each of the five named plaintiffs in the case is eligible to recieve a $5,000 payment, and attorneys will be able to apply for up to $40 million in fees plus costs and expenses, to be paid out of the settlement fund, according to the agreement.Attorneys for the plaintiffs were not immediately available for comment Tuesday evening.The Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, passed in 2008, is among the strictest such laws in the U.S. Last year, Facebook received approval for a landmark $650 million class-action settlement in an Illinois biometric privacy case over its facial tagging feature, but the payouts were delayed more than a year after two objectors appealed the award of attorneys’ fees in the case. In March, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit upheld the February 2021 class-action settlement and attorney fee award, freeing up payments for the 1.6 million Illinois Facebook users who filed claims. Those who did should expect to see checks of almost $400 in the mail starting next month. AdvertisementA final approval hearing for the Google settlement is scheduled for September.

Illinois residents who have appeared in a photograph on the Google Photos app within the last seven years may be eligible for a cut of a $100 million class-action privacy settlement reached by Google this month.The lawsuit alleges Google’s face grouping tool, which sorts faces in the Google Photos app by similarity, runs afoul of Illinois’ biometric privacy law. The law requires companies to get user consent for the use of such technologies. AdvertisementThe settlement was filed in Cook County Circuit Court April 14, and Judge Anna M. Loftus issued an order granting preliminary approval of the agreement Monday.The lawsuit was first filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in March 2016. The plaintiffs filed suit in state court in 2019 after a judge found they lacked standing to pursue their claims in federal court.AdvertisementIf a final order is approved in the case, Illinois residents who appeared in a photograph in Google Photos between May 1, 2015, and the date of the settlement’s preliminary approval would be eligible to take part in the deal. While the amount of the payments will depend on how many people file claims, attorneys estimate each class member will receive between $200 and $400, according to the agreement.“We’re pleased to resolve this matter relating to specific laws in Illinois, and we remain committed to building easy-to-use controls for our users,” Google spokesperson José Castañeda said in a statement Tuesday.Castañeda said Google Photos users in Illinois would be prompted to provide opt-in consent to face grouping in the coming weeks. Those changes will also be gradually rolled out across the U.S., he said. Users can choose to turn face grouping off, in which case face groups will be deleted from their accounts.Each of the five named plaintiffs in the case is eligible to recieve a $5,000 payment, and attorneys will be able to apply for up to $40 million in fees plus costs and expenses, to be paid out of the settlement fund, according to the agreement.Attorneys for the plaintiffs were not immediately available for comment Tuesday evening.The Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, passed in 2008, is among the strictest such laws in the U.S. Last year, Facebook received approval for a landmark $650 million class-action settlement in an Illinois biometric privacy case over its facial tagging feature, but the payouts were delayed more than a year after two objectors appealed the award of attorneys’ fees in the case. In March, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit upheld the February 2021 class-action settlement and attorney fee award, freeing up payments for the 1.6 million Illinois Facebook users who filed claims. Those who did should expect to see checks of almost $400 in the mail starting next month. AdvertisementA final approval hearing for the Google settlement is scheduled for September.

U.S. regulators are calling on Amazon to improve its procedures for dealing with severe weather like hurricanes and tornadoes that could threaten workers at its warehouses dotted across the country.The Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Tuesday sent a “Hazard Alert Letter” to the Seattle-based e-commerce giant on Tuesday following the agency’s investigation into the deadly collapse of a company warehouse in Edwardsville, Illinois in December. Six people died and another was critically injured in the tornado strike.AdvertisementThe investigation raised concerns about the potential risk to employees during severe weather emergencies, according to the letter sent to Amazon that OSHA made public.The agency said its inspection found that, while the company’s severe weather procedures had met minimal federal safety guidelines for storm sheltering, the company still needed to further protect its workers and contract employees. The letter requires Amazon to review its severe weather emergency procedures but the company won’t face any fines or penalties.AdvertisementIn interviews with Amazon and contract workers, OSHA officials found some employees couldn’t recall ever participating in severe weather drills, or the location of the facility’s shelter. Kelly Nantel, an Amazon spokesperson, however, said employees receive emergency response training, which is “reinforced throughout the year.”“OSHA’s investigation did not find any violations or causes for citations, but we’re constantly looking to innovate and improve our safety measures and have already begun conducting additional safety and emergency preparedness drills at our sites and will carefully consider any OSHA recommendation that we have not already,” Nantel said.Amazon has noted workers at the warehouse, known as a “delivery station,” had little time to prepare when the National Weather Service declared a tornado warning on December 10. About 10 minutes before the tornado touched down, the agency said managers directed workers to go to a restroom in response to tornado warnings and other weather alerts.But some employees unaware of the designated tornado shelter — a restroom located in the northern portion of the building — went to a separate restroom in the hard-hit south end, the agency said. All the injured and killed had taken shelter in the south side bathroom.John Felton, Amazon’s senior vice president of global delivery services, had said in December that most of the 46 people in the warehouse headed to a shelter on the north side while a smaller group went to the south end, where the loading docks were located and delivery vehicles were parked.“The tornado that hit our delivery station was extreme and very sudden, with winds that were much like the force of a category 4 hurricane, and we believe our team did the right thing, moving people to shelter as soon as the warning was issued,” Nantel said.In the inspection, the agency said it also reviewed contractor safety and training records as well as the facility’s written “Emergency Action Plan.” Officials took issue with the plan, writing in the letter it “was not customized with specific instructions” for hazards expected at the Edwardsville site.Though Amazon had posted evacuation maps at the facility showing the location of the designated shelter, officials found the written plan did not “specifically identify” the shelter’s location in the warehouse. Nantel said the company’s buildings have “emergency plans that identify exit routes and shelter areas.”AdvertisementSeparately, officials said a megaphone that was supposed to activate the site’s shelter-in-place procedure was locked in a cage and not accessible, resulting in managers verbally telling workers on where to take shelter.“These tragic deaths have sparked discussions nationwide on the vital need for comprehensive workplace emergency plans,” William Donovan, OSHA’s regional administrator in Chicago, said in a statement. “Employers should re-evaluate their emergency plans for the safest shelter-in-place locations and prepare before an emergency to ensure workers know where to go and how to keep themselves safe in the event of a disaster.”The agency has recommended Amazon makes its warning devices readily accessible, ensures all employees participate in drills for emergency weather events and include site-specific information in its emergency plans. It said it will also send hazard alert letters to three delivery service providers, who employed the injured worker and five of the employees who died.

The Chicago White Sox can look to catcher Yasmani Grandal and pitcher Lance Lynn while mapping out Eloy Jiménez’s injury timeline.The left fielder underwent surgery Tuesday to repair a torn hamstring tendon behind his right knee, the team announced. His estimated recovery time remains six to eight weeks.AdvertisementSox general manager Rick Hahn said the procedure was the same one that Grandal had last season and that Lynn underwent earlier this month. Grandal was out July 6 to Aug. 27, and Lynn is projected to miss the first eight weeks this season.“On the positive side of things, we have some track record and feel pretty confident in that six-to-eight return time frame being the outer bounds, depending on any potential setbacks,” Hahn said.AdvertisementJiménez stumbled after crossing first base in the second inning Saturday and exited the game — the latest setback for a team hit hard by injuries.Hahn provided several injury updates and discussed the team’s tough road trip before Tuesday’s homestand opener against the Kansas City Royals.Eloy Jiménez underwent successful surgery this morning at Rush Oak Brook Surgery Center to repair a torn hamstring tendon behind his right knee. The injury is similar to those sustained by Yasmani Grandal on 7/5/21 and Lance Lynn on 4/2/22.— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) April 26, 2022

He said third baseman Yoán Moncada (right oblique strain) and reliever Joe Kelly (right biceps nerve injury) could begin rehab assignments soon. Neither has appeared in a game this season.“Moncada continues to progress,” Hahn said. “Those of you who were on the trip saw him on the field (pregame) doing more activities. That will continue over the next few days with the hope that he will be able to start a rehabilitation assignment perhaps this weekend with (Triple-A) Charlotte.“Joe Kelly has made a couple of outings in Arizona, which have gone well at the extended (spring training) level. He’s going to make at least one more down there and then he, too, could potentially join Charlotte this weekend for a rehabilitation assignment.”Closer Liam Hendriks has a “back spasm issue,” according to Hahn, and is day to day.“He walked into the clubhouse and slipped on the slippery surface and tweaked his back,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said, adding that the injury occurred after the ninth and before the 10th inning of Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Twins. “It affects everything you do, no matter what position you play.”[ [Don’t miss] Column: Was the White Sox’s ‘(bleep) week’ a blip or a trend? It’s up to Tony La Russa to get them back on track. ]Center fielder Luis Robert is expected to return Wednesday. He last played Thursday in Cleveland, leaving in the eighth inning with a groin strain.Advertisement“It’s close,” La Russa said. “Just want to make sure we’re cautious on him. His legs are an important part of his game. I’m looking forward to getting him back.”While the Sox will be without Jiménez for a few weeks, the projection is shorter than the time he missed last year — almost four months — after suffering a ruptured left pectoral tendon in spring training. ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 90White Sox’s Eloy Jimenez leaves the field on a cart after falling to the turf on a groundout to the Minnesota in the second inning on April 23, 2022. (Bruce Kluckhohn / AP)“I’ve caught wind of some lazy analysis that put it on him being injury-prone or something like that,” Hahn said. “Couldn’t be further from the truth in terms of the fact he’s missing significant time this year and last year. That’s the extent of (how) you can call the guy injury-prone.“The thing (is), he made a bad decision last year trying to make a play (on a home run ball during a Cactus League game). This year, trying to get to a level he barely accessed all year, that’s more a guy trying to do everything he can to help his team to win, even if it’s perhaps not the right decision at the time. That’s not a guy who is injury-prone.”Andrew Vaughn started in left field Tuesday as the Sox are employing the “next man up” mentality for a second straight year.[ [Don’t miss] White Sox are struggling at the plate — and it shows: ‘The mental part of the game is beating us down’ ]“Part of the experience of last year is that this team should know that we faced perhaps even greater injury issues, yet we still were able to win 93 games and win the division,” Hahn said. “We never quite had a week like the one we just experienced (going 0-6 on the road trip), but at the same time, the memory and the resourcefulness (of 2021) should be there for these guys to understand what they’re capable of doing and pull themselves out of this.”AdvertisementThe Sox returned home hoping to pull themselves out of a funk after dropping three in Cleveland and three more in Minnesota.“We still very much believe in this team’s talent,” Hahn said. “We believe in this team’s upside and are confident over time that talent will prevail and take us to the level that we aspire to be at, that we intended to be at the start of this season.“There’s no avoiding the frustration and disappointment, but one of the beautiful things about this sport is the length of the season really forces the cream to rise to the top over the course of the six-month season. And there’s still an ample opportunity to prove we’re capable of being that again this season.”