GOODYEAR, Ariz. — White Sox pitcher Jonathan Cannon is confident the issues he’s had this spring — 22 hits allowed in 11 1/3 innings — can be cleared up with attention to better pitch sequencing.
“Last start I fell behind a lot just trying to get back in the zone and was falling into the same sequences over and over,” Cannon said. “Was leaning heavy on the sinker and sweeper to righties, but the other pitches are too good to ignore them,” he said of his changeup and cutter.
“I’ve thrown like seven changeups all spring,” Cannon said. “Just have to get back to what I did last year.”
Cannon’s last spring outing will be Sunday in a minor league game. He takes solace knowing his mechanics, movement and velocity are where they should be and that the issues are being dealt with now.
“Glad we were able to catch it and make the adjustments now,” he said.
Senior adviser to pitching Brian Bannister said Cannon wouldn’t be the first pitcher confront “an Arizona thing.”
“Some pitchers just have a bad spring or give up more hits because we’re a little more in elevation,” Bannister said, “and you get back to sea level, to cold weather and all of a sudden it starts playing again.”
The right moves
While he hasn’t homered yet and is batting .237/.293/.289 this spring, first baseman Andrew Vaughn likes how he feels this spring after adopting a simplified, quieter move at the plate.
“In college I had a really big move, I got away with it,” said Vaughn, the Golden Spikes Award winner and No. 3 overall draft pick from Cal in 2019. “But pitchers in the big leagues are pretty good. The biggest thing is simplify, and get from A to B as quick and smooth as possible.”
“I had the leg kick, arms moving, stuff like that. It feels good, I’m seeing the ball well and have to keep grinding with it.”
Aches and pains
Infielder Brandon Drury, who led the Cactus League with 10 extra-base hits while batting .410/.439/.821, was scratched from the lineup with a bruised left hand.
“Just a hand contusion. It happened [Thursday] in practice,’’ manager Will Venable said. “Just precautionary, thinking he’ll be back in there tomorrow.”
• There was no update on right-hander Drew Thorpe, who left a minor league game after one inning with elbow soreness. “More imaging and evaluating and we’ll see where we’re at here in the next couple days,” Venable said.
• Josh Rojas (hairline fracture big right toe) took ground balls and hit in the cage as he pushes to be ready for Opening Day.
“Still think there’s some pain there but he’s moving around and testing out more and more comfortable with it,” Venable said.
Rojas can’t make it worse, so playing will be a matter of pain tolerance.
• Left fielder Andrew Benintendi, also pushing for Opening Day, was the DH again after not playing Thursday. He originally was going to play the outfield but there’s “still a little discomfort with the glove on so we’re going to expose him to as much volume of defense as we can without putting his hand at risk,” Venable said.
• Austin Slater (oblique) started in right field, like Benintendi playing for the second time in three days coming back from injury.
“Going to take it day by that he’s feeling good, progressing well,” Venable said. “The more reports we get that he’s going to come out of it the more confident we are that he’s ready for Opening Day.”