PHOENIX — Mike Vasil did it all last season for the White Sox pitching staff, serving as a spot starter, long reliever, high-leverage man and closer.
The former Rule 5 Draft pick has a new role this year, and certainly one he didn’t ask for: clubhouse cheerleader.
With his second year in the big leagues lost to a catastrophic elbow injury and Tommy John surgery that seems to catch up to every modern pitcher, Vasil has traveled with the Sox and embraced the little things he can contribute to help his teammates develop while he can’t — not on the field, at least.
“I just try and bring positive vibes to the guys, some good energy,” the 26-year-old right-hander said in an empty Kansas City clubhouse earlier this month, after his teammates headed out for the pregame work that he won’t be able to approach for months. With his powerful right arm confined to a brace, it’s a rare moment that the gregarious Vasil emits a little melancholy as he stares down his yearlong recovery.
But there’s no containing the outgoing personality of a player who famously brought two to the Sox, if you count the Batman persona he channeled last season on the mound (yes, his Batman mask is in tow this season).
So while Vasil’s not throwing, he’s assisting with scouting reports, tallying his teammates’ shutdown innings for in-house competition and looking for any other way to keep spirits high on a rebuilding team.
“Any way I can contribute while I’m doing my rehab. That’s really what I’m here to do,” Vasil said. “It keeps my mind fresh. It makes it a lot more enjoyable, and at the same time, I want to be a part of the team. Winning matters to me. This team matters to me a lot. I care about what we’re doing. It’s not like I’m just a guy rehabbing in the org. I want to be able to do everything I can to help this team win.”
The Sox are missing the Boston native just as much as he misses them. Vasil tied with Adrian Houser last season for the lead among Sox pitchers in WAR (2.9 per Baseball Reference) and trailed only Colson Montgomery’s 3.3 for the whole team, while tossing 101 innings — an MLB high for relievers — across just about every conceivable scenario.
Vasil’s 2.50 ERA led all rookies, running a 5-3 record with 82 strikeouts and 52 walks across 47 appearances, including three starts and six save opportunities, four of them executed.
Without their Swiss-Army knife in the bullpen, Sox relievers have struggled to a 5.64 ERA, third-worst in baseball entering play Monday.
General manager Chris Getz has said they’re looking to second-year flamethrower Grant Taylor (3.97 ERA) to cover some 100 innings in a variety of roles — most notably as an opener — but Taylor’s been knocked around a few times in between outings where he’s looked unhittable.
Meanwhile Seranthony Dominguez (5.63) has blown two of his six save opportunities and otherwise made things more interesting than the Sox were hoping when they inked him to a two-year, $20 million deal.
And it’s been a mixed bag for Jordan Hicks (4.91), Jordan Leasure (5.23) and Sean Newcomb (4.61), prompting well-worn paths among Chicago, Triple-A Charlotte and the waiver wire as the Sox have already cycled through 21 pitchers this season.
Manager Will Venable would sure love to be able to send up the Bat signal, just like Vasil would.
“There have definitely been some times throughout the year, which makes it hard, where I could see how I could plug myself in and save some innings for some other guys. What’s tough for me is I liked doing that, knowing I could come in and eat a chunk of innings when we needed it,” Vasil said. “But I think right now, it’s still early, and everyone’s really falling into a role. We’re trying different things. Everyone’s flexible.”