Lucas Giolito, Jose Abreu make spring debuts for White Sox

Lucas Giolito

Some notes from the White Sox-Rangers game Tuesday, which ended in a 5-5 tie after six innings:

1. Giolito pitched. After seeing the Sox use nothing but likely minor-league pitchers their first two games, staff ace Lucas Giolito got the start. He went two innings, facing seven hitters, retiring six and striking out four. He gave up a solo home run. Giolito used three pitches -- fastball, change and slider. He threw a fair number of sliders, in fact, but we did not see the 12-to-6 breaking ball he's allegedly been working on. Maybe next time.

2. Abreu played first base. Reigning American League MVP Jose Abreu is out of COVID-19 protocols, and he went 2 for 3 in his first spring appearance. He lined a two-strike single to left field in the first inning, and he also hit an RBI double to left field as part of a two-run rally in the fifth inning. 

3. Vaughn homers. Designated hitter candidate Andrew Vaughn pulled his hands in on an inside pitch and hit a three-run homer to left field in the bottom of the first inning off Texas starter Kohei Arihara. Good piece of hitting by the kid.

4. What's with all this ending innings with two outs crap? I guess you don't have to get three outs in an inning anymore. Three times in this game, the Rangers pulled their team off the field with two outs. In the second inning, the Sox had the bases loaded for Abreu, but I guess Arihara had thrown too many pitches, so the inning was declared over. The Sox also pulled their team off the field with less than three outs twice. So, out of 12 half-innings, five were not played to their completion. No wonder fans were booing. They paid money for that? I know it's spring training, but c'mon, let's play baseball.

5. La Russa hears the boos. For his part, Sox manager Tony La Russa said he took note of the fans' displeasure. “MLB is concerned about the health of the arms, and that’s why they shortened the games, and you can only have so many pitchers and players in camp,” La Russa told MLB.com's Scott Merkin. “There’s all kinds of professional reasons why it makes sense. But fans are paying to come to games. I know they were disappointed, they voiced it several times, so from the White Sox side, we’re going to do everything we can to avoid doing it.” Good. Hope so.

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At least the White Sox didn't lose Monday ...

Adam Eaton

As fans, we have to get used to the idea that these early spring games are not going to be nine-inning affairs. Major League Baseball is shortening games to limit contact and prevent COVID-19 infections during a time where results don't matter.

It took the White Sox and Los Angeles Angels two hours and 16 minutes to play five innings Monday, and honestly, that was probably enough for the second game of Cactus League ball. Did these two teams need to stand out there for four hours in what was a poorly pitched affair? Probably not.

Anyway, Monday's game ended in a 4-4 tie. The Angels got one run in the first and three more in the third to take a 4-0 lead. The Sox rallied with four runs in the fourth to force the tie.

I didn't see a single pitch, because the game was over before I got off work, which prevented me from using my free subscription to MLB.tv for the first time. Oh well. 

The good

Some of the good news, based on the box score:

1. Adam Eaton. The new (old) Sox right fielder was 1 for 1 with an RBI in three plate appearances. He was hit by a pitch in the first inning, singled in the third and tied the game at 4 with a sacrifice fly in the fourth.

2. Luis Robert. The center fielder batted leadoff and went 1 for 3. The hit was an RBI double as part of the four-run fourth inning.

3. Leury Garcia. He had a single and a walk in two plate appearances, and he added a stolen base.

The bad

Some of the bad news, based on the box score:

1. Ryan Burr. The right-hander missed all of 2020 with Tommy John surgery, and he probably doesn't figure in the Sox's Opening Day roster plans anyway. But he got shelled for three runs on three hits in the Angels' three-run third.

2. Eloy Jimenez. He was 0 for 3 with a strikeout and didn't get the ball out of the infield. Not that we're really worried about Jimenez. He'll be fine, but other than Burr, he was probably the only guy who had a rough day.

Observations from White Sox spring training opener

The White Sox opened Cactus League play with a 7-2, six-inning loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Ariz. Here are some observations:

1. Hey, fans in the stands! It didn't matter that this game was only six innings. It didn't matter that the Sox didn't pitch a single guy who has a chance of making the major-league roster. It was just good to see baseball on TV again, and most of all, it was good to see 2,000 or so fans in the stands at a Sox game. While that's a relatively sparse gathering, it sure beats zero fans. The broadcast almost felt like watching a normal spring game.

2. The second coming of Dan Wright? As noted before, the Sox trotted out pitchers whom we will likely not see at Guaranteed Rate Field at any point in 2021. Six pitchers all worked one inning. They were: Mike Wright, Jacob Lindgren, Kade McClure, Bennett Sousa, Kyle Kubat and Danny Dopico. You could be forgiven if you're not familiar with any of those guys. 

Mike Wright, a 31-year-old veteran with previous big-league time with the Baltimore Orioles and Seattle Mariners, got the start. He immediately evoked memories of erstwhile right-hander Dan Wright, who made 70 horrible appearances for the Sox from 2001 to 2004. Mike Wright had a full count on his first three batters, giving up a walk, a single and a three-run homer to Keston Hiura. Absolutely terrible pitching. Mike Wright even wore the same number as Dan Wright: 46.

3. Still hitting lefties. The Sox got their two runs in the first inning off Milwaukee starter Eric Lauer, who didn't pitch much last season. Lauer, a left-hander, was a member of the San Diego Padres starting rotation in 2018 and 2019. He gave up a leadoff single to Tim Anderson, and a two-run homer to Adam Engel. Anderson and Engel dominated left-handed pitchers last season, and they picked up where they left off. But that was about it for the Sox offense, which totaled only four hits for the game.

4. First look at Vaughn. One of the big stories in Sox camp is whether Andrew Vaughn can win the everyday job as designated hitter. The former first-round pick batted fourth in Sunday's lineup, and he went 0 for 1 with two walks. Vaughn's understanding of the strike zone and plate discipline are of major-league quality, and he showed that with those walks. In his other at-bat, Vaughn fouled out to the catcher. We know Vaughn won't swing at many bad pitches. It remains to be seen whether he can punish pitches that are in the zone.

5. Burger back on the field. Jake Burger, the Sox's first-round draft pick in 2017, hasn't played affiliated ball since his draft year. He's torn his Achilles' tendon twice, and, of course, that pesky pandemic got in everyone's way last year. But Burger got the start at third base Sunday -- Yoan Moncada served as designated hitter. Burger went 0 for 3 with two flyouts and a strikeout, but hey, just getting him on the field represents progress. He's now a long shot to make the majors, but it's hard not to pull for the guy after the horrible injury luck he's been through.

The Sox have another game Monday against the Los Angeles Angels. The next televised game is Tuesday against the Texas Rangers. That one might be a little more interesting ... because Lucas Giolito is scheduled to be the starting pitcher.

A month from now, I'll be at a baseball game

The last time I attended a baseball game, it was the finale of the 2019 season, when the White Sox beat the Detroit Tigers, 5-3.

This long stretch of despair is going to end soon, whether Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker likes it or not -- and I'm sure he wouldn't.

But to hell with politicians.

My girlfriend and I are going to Florida for spring break from March 21 to 27. We're not going there for baseball, but since we're going to be there, I bought tickets to see the Toronto Blue Jays play the Tigers in a spring training matchup on March 25 at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Fla.

Believe it or not, I've never been to a spring training game before, and I'm excited for the opportunity. 

Who knows when fans will be allowed back at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago? Other states -- even New York, Michigan and Massachusetts -- are starting to allow fans at sporting events.

It might be a few more months before the lockdown monarchs in charge of Illinois lift a finger, even though the COVID-19 numbers have been trending down here for weeks and weeks.

When the regular season starts, I won't mind going on the road to see the Sox, if I must. Can't wait to see live baseball again.

Jose Abreu will report late to White Sox camp because of COVID-19 protocols

Jose Abreu

The headlines around White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu today strike me as a little misleading. 

ESPN's story says, "Jose Abreu tests positive for COVID-19, but Chicago White Sox say star 1B is 'completely asymptomatic.'"

Not to pick on ESPN, because if you do a search for "Jose Abreu," there are about a dozen similar headlines out there. The problem with the headline is it leads you to believe Abreu just tested positive for the virus, when that doesn't sound like it's the case.

If you read what Sox GM Rick Hahn said about the situation, Abreu believes he had a mild case of the virus in January. Hahn noted that COVID antibody testing backed up Abreu's story. Later, James Fegan of The Athletic noted that the Sox hope Abreu will report to camp as soon as Monday.

In other words, don't believe the hype. I don't think Abreu has COVID-19, and I don't think he's in danger of infecting anyone. He just has to stay away for now because of MLB's written protocols.

Here's what I think happened: Abreu did have COVID in January -- he just didn't get tested for it at that time. The antibody test revealed there's a strong likelihood that's the case.

Testing Abreu for the virus right now is sort of pointless. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control advises against retesting within 90 days of testing positive -- because of the risk of false positives. That's why the antibody test was performed instead.

From MLB's perspective, there's no record of Abreu testing positive, which he likely would have had he been tested in January. However, there is strong evidence that he had the virus recently, so the league is treating it as a new and active case.

That means Abreu has to spend 10 days in isolation and continue to be asymptomatic during that time. If he remains asymptomatic, and he likely will, he can join the team. That 10-day process has already started, I'm sure, and that's why the Sox are able to pinpoint Monday as a probable report date for Abreu.

I'm not a medical expert, so obviously, my thoughts are not to be taken as gospel. But that's my armchair guess at what's going on here, and well, armchair guesses are what blogging is all about. I would never argue otherwise.

So, I've got some reading to do

Most of the 2021 baseball preview magazines are present in my home, so I've got some reading to do now. I'll share here if I read anything particularly of interest.

And hey, it's almost time for spring training games to start. The White Sox play Milwaukee on Sunday afternoon, and the game is televised on NBC Sports Chicago. Maybe something interesting will happen.

It will nice to have some actual baseball to talk about, if only so we can take a break from the discussion of how Tony La Russa will mesh with the Sox players.

Who will fill the final two spots in the White Sox starting rotation?

Dylan Cease

White Sox general manager Rick Hahn opened spring training by saying that anything less than a World Series championship in 2021 would be a "disappointment."

That is a bold statement when we're talking about an organization that hasn't won a division championship since 2008, and hasn't won a playoff series since the 2005 World Series.

Let's just say I don't expect the Sox to achieve that goal. They most certainly should have a winning season. They should be a playoff contender, but I don't know if they belong on the short list of teams that deserve to be talked about as World Series contenders.

One of the reservations I have is the lack of depth in the starting rotation. We know who the top three are, don't we? Lucas Giolito, Dallas Keuchel and Lance Lynn ... You could do a helluva lot worse than that. The only question there is, who starts Game 2 of the regular season?

Giolito is the ace and should start April 1 against the Los Angeles Angels. After that, it's Keuchel and Lynn in any order. But what about those No. 4 and No. 5 spots? I see five contenders, and let's list them in order from most likely to win a job, to least likely:

1. Dylan Cease. Of all the candidates, Cease is the only one who has both plus stuff and a track record of health over the past year. The 25-year-old right-hander made all 12 of his starts in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, and he went 5-4 with a 4.01 ERA. Not bad, but his shabby control -- a league-high 34 walks in 58.1 innings pitched -- led to him being relegated to the bullpen in the playoff series against the Oakland Athletics. New pitching coach Ethan Katz apparently is executing a plan to stop the glove-side run on Cease's fastball. We all know Cease has high-90s velocity, a good breaking ball and a usable changeup, so he's the No. 4 guy if he can find the plate a little more often.

2. Carlos Rodon. I've already vented on this blog about the decision to bring Rodon back. Every season, he seems to be worse and more injured than he was the season before. Nevertheless, the Sox can't quit him, and he was signed with the promise that he would be given an opportunity to compete for a starting role. Given how badly Rodon fared in relief last season, it's hard not to agree that he's better off as a starter. Accordingly, if he's healthy, it's hard not to see him having the inside track for the fifth spot in the rotation. If that's not his role, then what is? He's on a major-league deal, and he can't be sent to the minors without clearing waivers. One positive is he would provide a second left-hander for the rotation behind Keuchel, and he's obviously a different type of pitcher. Rodon has the high velocity and a power slider, while Keuchel is a sinkerballer with plus control.

3. Reynaldo Lopez. The once-promising 27-year-old has had two lousy years in a row. His ERA swelled to 5.38 in 33 starts in 2019, and 2020 brought injury problems and a 1-3 record with a 6.49 ERA in eight starts. Lopez pitched so poorly that he was left off the playoff roster. He's yet another project for Katz, and the focus seems to be on shortening Lopez's arm swing -- a fix that worked for Giolito between 2018 and his breakout season of 2019. But does Lopez have the mental focus to be a consistent starting pitcher? That remains to be seen. Of note, he has an option remaining and can be sent to Triple-A Charlotte if he doesn't win a job in camp.

4. Michael Kopech. Once we get to April, it will have been 31 months since we last saw the 24-year-old Kopech on a big-league mound. He blew out his elbow late in the 2018 season, missed all of 2019 after Tommy John surgery, and opted out of the 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic and assorted personal issues. Kopech is back this year for sure, and he's saying he's in a better mental place than he's been at any point in his career. And make no mistake about it, he isn't going to Charlotte. He's going to be on the club when camp breaks. I just think he's going to start the season in the bullpen. Because he has not pitched in two years, he will be on an innings limit, and the Sox are already talking about how they will need to be "creative" with his usage. For me, that means something other than starting every fifth day. I don't see Kopech opening the season in the rotation unless there are a bunch of injuries that force the Sox's hand.

5. Jimmy Lambert. The forgotten 26-year-old right-hander also had Tommy John surgery in 2019. He returned in 2020 and made two scoreless relief appearances with the Sox before a forearm strain sidelined him for the rest of the season. Lambert doesn't have the stuff that some other guys on this list have, but he has three pitches that he can get over the plate, and he's not afraid out there. The most likely scenario? Lambert pitches at the top of the rotation in Triple-A Charlotte, and he's a candidate to be called up if injury woes strike the major league rotation.

So, who do you have going into those last two spots, assuming good health? I'm obviously going with Cease and Rodon. 

I think both Lopez and Kopech will be on the team April 1, but both will be in the bullpen to start the season. Don't forget, Jace Fry is out until May after having back surgery, and Jimmy Cordero has a leftover suspension to serve after beaning Willson Contreras with a pitch in a late-season game against the Cubs in 2020.

That opens up a couple of bullpen jobs in the short run. Ultimately, though, Cordero will come back from his suspension, Lopez will head to Charlotte to stay stretched out to start, and we'll see him in the likely event that Rodon needs time on the injured list. That's my prediction.