White Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet throws during the second inning of a spring training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Phoenix, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Ashley Landis/AP Photos
GLENDALE, Ariz. — One day later, a buzz lingered in White Sox camp.
Making his first start since he was at Tennessee on Tuesday, left-hander Garrett Crochet pitched 1 1/2 scoreless innings, striking out Shohei Ohtani and Jason Heyward while allowing no hits Tuesday.
That he was throwing that hard with command against one of baseball’s best lineups was an early-spring highlight for the Sox.
“He came out throwing 97 to 100 [mph],” manager Pedro Grifol said Wednesday. “It wasn’t a big big stage, but it was OK or spring training, right? Ohtani’s debut. And I thought he commanded the strike zone. The most important for me is he was all over that plate with plus-plus stuff.”
How the spring unfolds and ends up for Crochet, who is being stretched out as a starter while being closely monitored because of his limited innings the past two seasons, remains to be seen.
“We have his innings mapped out and we are going to keep stretching him out and we don’t have to make that decision yet,” Grifol said. “His plan is to be a starter, so we’ll make that decision when we have to.”
Around the Horn
The newest White Sox isn’t so new. Left-hander Bailey Horn, acquired Tuesday in a trade with the Cubs for Double-A right-hander Matthew Thompson, was drafted by the Sox in the fifth round out of Auburn in 2020.
The Sox swapped him for right-hander Ryan Tepera during their 2021 AL Central title year. And now he’s coming back to a place he calls “home.”
“Obviously it was an important move for them,” Horn, 26, said Wednesday, his first day in Sox camp. “They were pushing for the playoffs. I understand it from that aspect. Things like that happen. Fortunate to be traded back.”
Horn pitched a scoreless inning against the Sox Friday, the first day of the Cactus League season.
“That was funny,” Horn said. “Different perspective there. And then a few days later to be traded back was kind of cool. Didn’t see it coming, but I’m super happy to be back.”
Horn combined to post a 4.21 ERA over 65 innings between
the Double-A and Triple-A for the Cubs last season, striking out 78 and walking 34.
For starters
Michael Kopech starts Friday at the Cubs and Dylan Cease Saturday at the Rangers in the first circuit of regular starting rotation pitchers.
Michael Soroka and Chris Flexen, good bets to open the season in the rotatation, threw good bullpens Wednesday that left Grifol “really excited.”
“Soroka was really throwing the ball good, really good,” Grifol said. “He had a good two-seamer. Flexen showed some pretty good stuff.”
Paul ball
Shortstop Paul DeJong hit 25 homers in his 2017 debut with the Cardinals, 19 the following year and 30 more in 2019, so going deep is nothing new for th 2019 All-Star. But he’s hit just 42 over the last four seasons, which is one reason why the Sox were able to sign him for the affordable price of $1.75 million.
Discussing a homer against Dodgers right-hander Michael Grove in his third spring game brought a big smile to his face the following day.
“I thought that ball was going to hit off the way so I was kind of funny to see it hit off the fence,” DeJong said. “But yeah it was good to get one like that. Hanging slider is exactly what I want to do with that pitch. So I was pretty happy about that.”