WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF JULY 24, 2018 “Abreu heats up, Giolito stays sharp to top Halos”… Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Avisail scratched, returns after hospital exam” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “In My Words: Luis Basabe”… Luis Basabe, MLB.com “Best player on each roster acquired via trade” … Willy Leitch, MLB.com “Oral history of Mark Buehrle's perfect game”… Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Better pitching's no problem for still-hot Jimenez” … Max Gelman, MLB.com “Is this what turning the corner looks like for Carlos Rodon and Lucas Giolito?” … Vinnie Duber, NBC Sports Chicago “'It was a really good team win:' White Sox win for the 5th time in 8 games” … Bob Keisser, Chicago Tribune “Lucas Giolito hoping improved recent outings for White Sox a sign he's moving out of 'prospect' phase” … Bob Keisser, Chicago Tribune “White Sox’ Avisail Garcia OK after feeling chest pains, rapid heartbeat” … Doug Padilla, Sun-Times “White Sox’ Leury Garcia steps in, steps up in win over Angels” … Doug Padilla, Sun-Times “Jose Abreu’s homer in first inning may be sign he’s breaking out of slump” … Doug Padilla, Sun-Times “Jimenez continues strong push to Chicago White Sox's roster” … Scot Gregor, Daily Herald “Carson Fulmer knows the quickest way back to Chicago is through the bullpen” … James Fegan, The Athletic “TA30: Baseball is back and so are the MLB power rankings, where the highs are high and the lows are low” … Matthew Kory, The Athletic “Eloy Jiménez’s mature approach is making Triple-A a breeze. So when will he be in Chicago?” … James Fegan, The Athletic “Sox is singular: Second half same as the first so far for the White Sox” … Jim Margalus, The Athletic

Abreu heats up, Giolito stays sharp to top Halos By Scott Merkin / MLB.com / July 23, 2018 ANAHEIM -- Jose Abreu hit, Lucas Giolito pitched and Kevan Smith drove in two runs without getting a hit. Those intangibles, along with six relievers covering the final three innings, added up to a 5-3 victory for the White Sox over the Angels Monday night at Angel Stadium. It evened the White Sox record at 2-2 on this seven-game road trip to start the season's second half, but it also marked the team's second win over its last 16 games played in Anaheim. Their only other win came on Aug. 20, 2015. View Full Game Coverage Giolito made his third straight quality start, battling through six innings on an exceptionally hot night in Orange County about an hour away from where Giolito grew up in Santa Monica. Somewhere around 15 friends and family members were in attendance. "It was special because this is my first time pitching in California as a professional," Giolito said. "So, coming back home and pitching in front of a lot of family and friends, like I said before, I definitely wanted it to be a good one and luckily we pulled it out. "But once the game starts, it's the same thing, so I go out and I compete to the best of my ability no matter where I'm at or who is watching. Emotions are the same."

The right-hander allowed three runs on five hits, striking out five and walking four. One of those hits was a Shohei Ohtani home run with one out in the fourth, traveling 435 feet, per Statcast™, and landing in the center-field greenery behind the shrubs. "Well, he's got some power," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said of Ohtani. "The first ball he hit, his first at-bat, he flew out deep, right? We looked at each other and went, 'OK, this kid has power.' Then he put one in the turf in center field and we said, 'Confirmed.' Good looking young player." Over those last three starts, Giolito has given up five earned runs in 19 2/3 innings while walking 10 and striking out 14. Abreu, mired in a prolonged slump since May 27, launched a solo home run in the first off Angels starter Jaime Barria. He also walked in the fourth and singled home a run during a three-run sixth, erasing a 3-2 deficit, after Renteria mentioned in pregame that the All-Star first baseman was moving closer to returning to his old form. Abreu spoke of poring over a great deal of video Sunday night upon arriving in California to figure out a way to get out of this funk. "I came today and I did my same routine and I was feeling good," said Abreu through interpreter Billy Russo. "I was able to put the barrel on the ball and I got good results." In that sixth, the White Sox scored on Leury Garcia's sacrifice fly and Smith's hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded. Smith also drove in a run with a groundout in the fifth. Closer Joakim Soria struck out Justin Upton as the winning run at the plate with runners on first and second to secure the victory. "Everybody did a really nice job," Renteria said. "It was actually a really good team win." "They used a lot of pitchers tonight, but they all came in a did a good job for those guys," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "On the offensive end, we had chances. Obviously, we didn't get that hit." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Fry 1, Ohtani 0: Albert Pujols opened the eighth with a single to left, bringing left-handed reliever Jace Fry into the game to face Ohtani as the potential tying run. The count ran to 3-2 before Ohtani swung wildly and missed at a cutter moving out of the zone. The Angels would not score in that inning. SOUND SMART Abreu hit his first road home run since June 5 in the second game of a doubleheader at Minnesota. He now has 322 career extra-base hits, putting him in a tie for 19th with Jermaine Dye in White Sox history. A.J. Pierzynski ranks 18th at 323. HE SAID IT "It was definitely fun facing Pujols. He's going to be a Hall of Famer. That was a cool moment for me as a young guy in this league. Definitely a lot of fun tonight." -- Giolito UP NEXT Carlos Rodon (2-3, 3.56) makes his eighth start of the season in Tuesday night's contest against the Angels with first pitch schedled for 9:07 p.m. CT. Right-hander Felix Pena (1-0, 3.42 ERA) gets the call for the Angels. Rodon is 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA and 13 strikeouts over his last two starts. He allowed three hits over 7 1/3 innings in his last start against St. Louis on July 11.

Avisail scratched, returns after hospital exam By Scott Merkin / MLB.com / July 23, 2018 ANAHEIM -- White Sox right fielder Avisail Garcia was scratched from the starting lineup prior to Monday's 5-3 White Sox victory over the Angels at Angel Stadium with what he described postgame as a little pressure in his chest and his heart beating a little fast.

Garcia was checked out at a local hospital, was cleared and returned to take over in right field in the bottom of the eighth inning. View Full Game Coverage "It was like two days like that and I was a little nervous," Garcia said. "That's why I went to the hospital to get checked out because I have a family. I was a little scared. "Maybe it's normal because [of the] the pills that I've been taking for my hammy. But I was scared, so that's why we went to the hospital." The 27-year-old, married father of two returned Saturday after missing time with a Grade 1 strain of his right hamstring, marking his second trip to the disabled list this season for a similar issue. He entered Monday hitting .345 with three doubles, two triples, seven home runs and 13 RBIs over his last 13 games, raising his average from .232 to .273. He has nine homers in his last 15 games, after hitting one in his first 22. He also felt great relief and seemed like his usual upbeat self after being examined. "Yeah, yeah. For sure," Garcia said. "I feel good now because my heart is good. Everything is good. I'm not worried about anything now." Buehrle's perfection remembered Monday marked the nine-year anniversary of Mark Buehrle's perfect game on July 23, 2009, against the Rays at U.S. Cellular Field. Many people will remember the homer-stealing catch by Dewayne Wise against Gabe Kapler to open the ninth. But in the ensuing at-bat, against Rays catcher Michel Hernandez, Buehrle fell behind at 3-1 before throwing a changeup at 3-2 to record the strikeout and move one hitter away from history. "Buehrle had the guts of a cat burglar. He's a riverboat gambler," White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper said. "He could throw any pitch at any time in the count. "When you do that, you are in the mind of any hitter. You can throw anything whenever you want and you never know. But that was confidence. The thing that he had too was confidence and belief and conviction." Fulmer doing Charlotte relief work Carson Fulmer started in eight of his nine appearances for the White Sox this season and has made nine starts for Triple-A Charlotte. But the right-hander's last five appearances have come out of the bullpen for the Knights, having allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings during that stretch. "Well, I think that part of this process is to find out where all of these guys end up fitting," Renteria said. "I'm assuming we're going to see how it ends up working out there and see if the work he keeps putting in as a starter has transitioned him, or at least allowed him to at least translate into being able to perform out of the bullpen. It's just an option." Abreu getting closer to his old self Although Jose Abreu is 6-for-51 over his last 15 games entering Monday, and 32-for-181 since May 27, watching his average fall from .319 to .250, Renteria saw signs in Seattle of the All-Star first baseman getting back to his old form. "He's never lost confidence. It's just a matter of, honestly, getting good pitches to hit," Renteria said. "Staying in his zone. Continuing to trust the things he's capable of doing and the things he has done over a long period of time in his career.

"He's going to end up coming out of this soon, and it will come in little spurts and bunches. And before you know it, nobody will be too concerned with it. He's right on track. I thought he had some good at-bats in Seattle and you can see that he is feeling more and more comfortable at the plate." On Monday night, Abreu hit his 14th home run in the first inning, a solo shot off Angels starter Jaime Barria.

In My Words: Luis Basabe By Luis Basabe / MLB.com / July 23, 2018 I can't believe it … I still can't believe it! Being part of the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game and being around the best prospects in the game was a surreal experience. On top of that, I was managed and coached by two of the game's greatest players in David Ortiz and Vladimir Guerrero. It was just incredible. I went to Washington with an open mind and a few goals: to enjoy the experience, to learn and to represent my country Venezuela and the Chicago White Sox organization. I think I did well on all of them. I definitely enjoyed every moment of my time in Washington, on and off the field, where I had the opportunity to spend time with the fans, especially the younger ones, as part of our activity program. I learned a lot, even more than I was expecting. Ortiz and Guerrero made a significant impact on me. Big Papi's speech during the World Team meeting was outstanding; he talked to us about confidence, about the game's challenges, about opportunities in this game and about life. His words touched me and strengthened my confidence. Everybody wants to know about the home run that I hit off Hunter Greene. When I went to home plate, I already knew that Greene was one of the top prospects in the game and a flamethrower. I saw him throwing over 100 mph and I said to myself, "Well Luis, you have to be smart here, you need to get ready and charge fast if you want to do something good." And I did just that. I shortened my swing and choked up on the bat. When I saw his fastball coming in I just reacted and was able to put the barrel on the ball, and it flew toward the center-field seats. It was a blast. It wasn't until I was running around the bases that I turned to the (video) board and saw the pitch's velocity. I was excited because I hit a homer off a pitch that was thrown at 102.3 mph. At that moment, I just said, "Thanks God. Thanks for this opportunity. Thanks for this blessing." That homer put me on the radar, and everybody was talking about me. I went to Washington as an unknown guy and I left as Luis Basabe, the Venezuelan outfielder and White Sox prospect who hit a homer off Hunter Greene. That made me feel happy and honored because, one of my goals heading into the Futures Game was to represent my country and the White Sox organization at my best. After the game, Big Papi met with the whole World Team and told us that he and all the coaching staff were very proud of us, and that he saw many guys on our team with the potential to reach the big leagues and become stars. Those words were encouraging. Now that I'm back with the Birmingham Barons after that wonderful experience in the Futures Game, I can tell you that my confidence and motivation level are stronger and higher than before. I will continue to work hard to become the best possible player I can be, and finally reach my dream of playing in the big leagues with the Chicago White Sox.

Best player on each roster acquired via trade By Will Leitch / MLB.com / July 23, 2018 We are less than two weeks from the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, which means some of the biggest names in baseball are about to be traded. It always seems strange to trade a star, doesn't it? It's so hard to get one of those guys in the first place; when you trade them, are you moving forward? Finances are finances, but stars are stars.

This week at The Thirty, in honor of the Trade Deadline, we look at the best player on each current roster to have been acquired via trade. The team didn't draft him, or sign him as a free agent: They simply got him by convincing another team that what they were offering was better than the player being giving up. As you will see, that team was very frequently wrong. AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST Blue Jays Josh Donaldson (acquired from Oakland for Brett Lawrie, Kendall Graveman, Sean Nolin and Franklin Barreto, November 2014) The A's were already worried about Donaldson's free agency when they shipped off the budding AL MVP Award candidate, and Toronto has reaped the benefits ever since -- at least, until Donaldson finally becomes a free agent this offseason. Oakland probably could have used him, as it turned out. Orioles Adam Jones (acquired with George Sherrill, Chris Tillman, Kam Mickolio and Tony Butler from Seattle for Erik Bedard, February 2008) The headline a decade ago, amusingly, was: "Mariners trade five players for Bedard." That would be one way to put it! Bedard wasn't actually terrible for Seattle, but, c'mon, it's Jones. Rays Chris Archer (acquired with Brandon Guyer, Robinson Chirinos, Hak-Ju Lee and Sam Fuld from the Chicago Cubs for Matt Garza, Fernando Perez and Zac Rosscup, January 2011) Garza would never pitch in a postseason game again; he'd leave the Cubs for the Rangers right before their postseason run would begin. Red Sox Chris Sale (acquired from the Chicago White Sox for Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech, Luis Alexander Basabe and Victor Diaz, December 2016) Moncada is already in the Majors, and Kopech and Basabe are the White Sox's No. 2 and No. 13 prospects, respectively. But Sale started the All-Star Game. Yankees Giancarlo Stanton (acquired from Miami for Starlin Castro, Jorge Guzman and Jose Devers, December 2017) The first year has been slightly rocky for Stanton, but he has come around lately. Remember, of course, that he is signed through the 2027 season. (2027 is a very long time from now.) CENTRAL Indians Corey Kluber (acquired from San Diego for Ryan Ludwick, July 2010) This was a three-team trade, actually; Ludwick came from St. Louis, the Padres' "reward" for facilitating the Indians sending Jake Westbrook to the Cardinals. Hardly anyone noticed the prospect who went from San Diego to Cleveland in the deal. Royals Brad Keller (acquired from Cincinnati for cash or a player to be named, December 2017) Keller has been by far the Royals' best pitcher this year, and they got him from the Reds, who had plucked him from the D-backs in the Rule 5 Draft, for essentially nothing. Kansas Ccity has a long way to go, but Keller's a start. Tigers

Miguel Cabrera (acquired with Dontrelle Willis from Florida for Cameron Maybin, Andrew Miller, Mike Rabelo, Frankie De La Cruz, Dallas Trahern and Burke Badenhop, December 2007) This trade is so old the prospects are old now. Twins Eduardo Escobar (acquired with Pedro Hernandez from Chicago White Sox for Francisco Liriano, July 2012) This trade was lambasted at the time; the general consensus was that the Twins didn't get nearly enough back. His ceiling was thought to be a "weak-hitting Omar Vizquel." White Sox Yoan Moncada (acquired with Michael Kopech, Luis Alexander Basabe and Victor Diaz from Boston for Chris Sale, December 2016) Yeah, he's probably already their best player. WEST Angels Andrelton Simmons (acquired with Jose Briceno from Atlanta for Sean Newcomb, Erick Aybar, Chris Ellis and cash, November 2015) Simmons is one of the 20 best players in the Majors, and better than he was in Atlanta by far. Newcomb hasn't been bad for the Braves this year, but he hasn't been as good as Simmons. Astros Justin Verlander (acquired with Juan Ramirez from Detroit for Franklin Perez, Jake Rogers and Daz Cameron, August 2017) Those prospects are currently Nos. 1, 6 and 10 in the Tigers' system, per MLB Pipeline; Perez just came back from a lat injury that cost him three months. Athletics Jed Lowrie (acquired from Houston for Brendan McCurry, November 2015) Lowrie is now an All-Star, not that the Astros still have anywhere they could put him. Mariners Mitch Haniger (acquired with Jean Segura and Zac Curtis from Arizona for Taijuan Walker and Ketel Marte, November 2016) The debate as to whether Haniger or Segura is the Mariners' best player -- that's the only real question left about this trade. Rangers Cole Hamels (acquired with Jake Diekman from Philadelphia for Jorge Alfaro, Nick Williams, Jake Thompson, Alec Asher, Jerad Eickhoff and Matt Harrison, July 2015) The Rangers are about to trade Hamels again, and you can find a lot of those prospects they shipped over on the National League East-leading Phillies three years later. NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST Braves Ender Inciarte (acquired with Dansby Swanson and Aaron Blair from Arizona for Shelby Miller and Gabe Speier, December 2015) It still hurts the soul to even look at this trade. Marlins Kyle Barraclough (acquired from St. Louis for Steve Cishek, July 2015)

The Cardinals sure would love to have Barraclough right about now. Mets Noah Syndergaard (acquired with Travis d'Arnaud, John Buck and Wuilmer Becerra from Toronto for R.A. Dickey, Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas, December 2012) This one looked shaky for the Jays the day they made it, and it only got worse. Nationals Trea Turner (acquired from San Diego, June 2015) This was a complicated trade because it was a three-way trade and because Turner was a player to be named later who was finally named six months later. This trade remains a headache to figure out three years later, but rest assured, the Nationals are not complaining. Phillies Zach Eflin (acquired with Tom Windle from the Los Angeles Dodgers for Jimmy Rollins and cash, December 2014) Eflin has quietly been fantastic for the Phillies this year, though he's currently on the DL with a blister issue. CENTRAL Brewers Christian Yelich (acquired from Miami for Lewis Brinson, Monte Harrison, Isan Diaz and Jordan Yamamoto, January 2018) The Marlins were awfully helpful this offseason, weren't they? Cardinals Jedd Gyorko (acquired from San Diego for Jon Jay, December 2015) Gyorko is having a better year so far than fellow Cardinals trade acquisition Marcell Ozuna... which is not what the Cards had in mind. Cubs Anthony Rizzo (acquired with Zach Cates from San Diego for Andrew Cashner and Kyung-Min Na, January 2012) The Padres show up a lot here, don't they? Pirates Felipe Vazquez (acquired with Taylor Hearn from Washington for Mark Melancon, July 2016) Suffice it to say, Vazquez/Rivero would have come in handy the last couple of postseasons. Reds Eugenio Suarez (acquired with Jonathon Crawford from Detroit for Alfredo Simon, December 2014) The Reds are quietly better than you think, and getting an All-Star for Alfredo Simon (who was back in Cincinnati a year later and out of baseball shortly after that) is a good reason why. WEST Diamondbacks Patrick Corbin (acquired with Rafael Rodriguez, Joe Saunders and Tyler Skaggs from the Los Angeles Angels for Dan Haren, July 2010) If the trade involved being funny on Twitter, it might have been more even. Dodgers Yasmani Grandal (acquired from San Diego with Zach Eflin and Joe Wieland for Matt Kemp, Tim Federowicz and cash, December 2014) We're not counting, you know, Manny Machado, so we'll go with Grandal, who is now, of course, teammates with the guy he was traded for.

Giants Andrew McCutchen (acquired from Pittsburgh for Bryan Reynolds, Kyle Crick and international bonus slot money, January 2018) McCutchen has been perfectly fine, but this trade still might not work out. Padres Wil Myers (acquired from Tampa Bay in a three-way trade that is seriously so confusing, December 2014) See Turner, above. Rockies DJ LeMahieu (acquired with Tyler Colvin from the Chicago Cubs for Casey Weathers and Ian Stewart, December 2011) He might get traded at this Deadline, too. Probably not to the Cubs, though.

Oral history of Mark Buehrle's perfect game Players, coaches reminisce about White Sox pitcher's famous feat By Scott Merkin / MLB.com / July 23, 2018 This story was originally published on July 23, 2015. CHICAGO -- There was a comment made by Mark Buehrle, shortly after throwing the second perfect game in White Sox franchise history, that perfectly summed up the surprise of the day's event, even for the left-hander. "I don't know how to explain it," Buehrle told reporters back on July 23, 2009, six years ago today. "I never thought I'd throw a no-hitter, I never thought I'd throw a perfect game, I never thought I'd hit a home run. Never say never in this game, because crazy stuff can happen." That home run, launched by Buehrle on June 14, 2009, in Milwaukee, might be the biggest cause for shock to anyone who has watched him swing. The 2007 no-hitter against the Rangers and that perfect game against the Rays, both at U.S. Cellular Field, might seem out of character to some, considering Buehrle rarely broke 90 mph with his fastball then and currently tops out at around 83-to-85 mph. The perfect game itself was a Thursday afternoon getaway day against the Rays, before the White Sox moved on to Detroit for an American League Central first-place showdown. Jermaine Dye, right fielder: "Buehrle is Buehrle and that's the reason he's still pitching. He gets guys out. He doesn't care who you are when you step in that box. He's going to go out there and do his best to keep you off balance and help his team win." Pat Burrell's long fly out to right-center field became the first challenge to the perfect game, but Dye hauled in the drive to end the second. Gabe Kapler lined out to left fielder Carlos Quentin to lead off the third, but Kapler would be heard from again before the afternoon was complete. Meanwhile, Josh Fields hit a grand slam off of Scott Kazmir, with two outs in the second, to provide Buehrle all the run support he would need. Dye: "As a defender, you get more into the game because now you don't want to be that guy who makes the mistake." Buehrle: "I think if you start telling yourself you have a no-hitter, perfect game, whatever, you're going to worry about messing up a pitch or making a mistake." White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper, who worked with Buehrle from 2000 to 2011: "I was having conversations all game. It wasn't like, 'Nobody speak to him or stay away from him.' It wasn't any of that

stuff. I remember after the seventh inning, and any time we've had a no-hitter or perfect game -- and we've had a few -- every time after the seventh, I turned to whoever is next to me and said, 'Now it's real.'" Rookie Gordon Beckham, who was completing his second month in the Majors and at third base, made two slick plays in the sixth to keep the perfect game going. Buehrle then fought back from a 3-0 count to get Jason Bartlett on a groundout to shortstop Alexei Ramirez to end the sixth. When Burrell lined out to Beckham to end the eighth, the perfect game idea turned very real. "Call your sons, call your daughters, call your friends, call your neighbors," Ken "Hawk" Harrelson said on the broadcast. "Mark Buehrle has a perfect game going into the ninth." If there's one moment that defines this piece of history, it was Dewayne Wise's spectacular catch on Kapler's 2-2 shot, which headed for the left-center field stands to open the ninth. Wise entered the game in the ninth as a defensive replacement by manager Ozzie Guillen. Scott Podsednik: "One of the biggest parts of that was me moving from center to left field, and then Dewayne Wise coming into center to make that unbelievable catch. That's what pops out." Wise raced back to the wall, as the crowd audibly groaned upon Kapler impact, leaped on the run and threw his right hand over the wall to rob Kapler of a homer. He juggled the ball on the way down but still managed to hold on with his left hand. Harrelson: "The last thing I do before every pitch is I check the outfielders to see where they play. So when the ball is hit, you have a good idea as to whether they can get it or not. Wise played more shallow than anybody in the American League. I saw him, and when Kapler hit the ball, I didn't think he could get there." Wise (to ESPN Mag in 2009): "I hit the wall with my right shoulder, the one I'd separated earlier in the year. Didn't care. If I had to flip over the wall to make the catch, I was going to do it. I knew the ball hit my glove -- an old, flabby, black Rawlings 4JB model I've had for about five years. It's 12 3/4 inches, which is considered small for an outfielder's glove. I didn't know if the ball stayed in there, and then I saw it coming out. I stuck my left hand out and caught it in my bare hand as I hit the turf." Buehrle struck out Michel Hernandez on a 3-2 change, and achieved perfection on Bartlett's groundout to Ramirez, completing the game in just 2 hours, 3 minutes. "Alexei … Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! History!!!" was the often-repeated call from Harrelson after the final out. Harrelson: "I had tears in my eyes after Alexei threw that last out." Ramirez: "I wanted that the ball comes to me but by fly, not by rolling. I wanted it to be a fly ball because I was a little tight with my ankle. When the batter hit the ball, I just said to myself, 'Hey, you have to take it, no matter what.' I did it. It was the most exciting moment for me." Even the postgame celebration was a bit out of the ordinary. As Buehrle spoke to the media in the U.S. Cellular Conference and Learning Center, White Sox vice president of communications Scott Reifert received an important phone call that he didn't know was important at the moment. Reifert: "My phone rang and I had it on vibrate, and I looked down and it said unknown number. Normally when it says unknown number, I hit ignore. Normally it's [White Sox chairman] Jerry [Reinsdorf] or Major League Baseball. So, Jerry is standing next to me. I didn't have to worry about it. I hit ignore. Seconds later, his phone rings loud in the middle of the press conference and he answers it. Well, it was the White House. They tried me and didn't get me and then tried Jerry. He said, 'The President would like to speak to Mark.'"

A flipcam had recently been purchased by the White Sox, and Reifert put former media relations staffer Marty Maloney in charge of figuring it out. Reifert: "We were going down the hallway to Jerry's office to take the call, and I ran into Marty and I said, 'Hey Marty, grab the flipcam. Do you know how to use it?' He said no, and I said, 'You have about 10 seconds to learn.' To his credit, he grabbed it, came in, filmed I think 26 seconds of Mark talking to President Obama, and it was on CBS Evening News that night. It was a neat moment." President Obama is a noted White Sox fan. Buehrle: "I was more nervous talking to him and trying on my end not to say something stupid. But I was just sitting there in the press conference and somebody says, 'Hey, the President wants to talk to you.'" The first perfect game in club history was thrown by Charlie Robertson on April 30, 1922, and Philip Humber threw one for Chicago on April 21, 2012, but Buehrle's perfecto holds a special place in team lore, because of his impact across the organization, having pitched for the White Sox for 11 years and helping them end their 88-year World Series drought in 2005. Harrelson: "He is my favorite White Sox player of all time." Reifert: "It couldn't happen to a better guy, obviously. I'm not alone in that. Thousands of people feel that way."

Better pitching's no problem for still-hot Jimenez Baseball's No. 2 prospect won International League Batter of Week By Max Gelman / MLB.com / July 23, 2018 CHICAGO -- Eloy Jimenez, baseball's No. 2 overall prospect per MLB Pipeline, earned a promotion to Triple-A Charlotte in mid-June, and he continues to knock the cover off the ball despite better pitching. Jimenez won International League Batter of the Week honors for July 16-22, and hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games with a .429/.442/.762 slash line, three home runs and five doubles. That includes July 20, when he had his first multihomer game in Triple-A and his first since April 22 with Double-A Birmingham. Additionally, Jimenez tallied back-to-back three-hit games for the first time this season during a weekend series with Pirates-affiliated Indianapolis. The young slugger has only accrued 80 plate appearances in the International League, but he owns an OPS of 1.022 with five homers. Between Birmingham and Charlotte, Jimenez has hit .326 overall with 15 home runs, despite missing about 25 games this season with injuries. Jimenez has only drawn five walks at Triple-A so far, but he has also struck out just seven times, including only twice over his past 12 games (48 plate appearances). Here's a rundown of other notable White Sox prospect performances: Nick Madrigal, SS, Class A Kannapolis Madrigal, the White Sox top 2018 Draft choice and No. 4 overall selection, is off to a hot start in his professional career. The 21-year-old played in a handful of games in the Arizona League Rookie-level club before moving to Kannapolis, where he is hitting well. It's been only five games, but Madrigal is 10-for-21 with two doubles, three RBIs and two stolen bases. He's also scored seven runs in his short time with the Intimidators and owns a 1.093 OPS. Madrigal has yet to strike out as a Minor Leaguer. Michael Kopech, RHP, Triple-A Charlotte

Kopech had dealt with command issues for the better part of May and June, walking at least four batters in nine of 12 starts from May 6 to July 5. But his past two outings have seen significant improvement in that department. The White Sox No. 2 prospect, and MLB's No. 10 overall prospect, has issued just one free pass in each of his past two starts against Rays-affiliated Durham and Red Sox-affiliated Pawtucket. Against Durham, Kopech went six innings of one-run ball, giving up four hits and striking out 11. Against Pawtucket, he again went six innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on seven hits while fanning nine. Kopech owned a 5.69 ERA during that unsightly two-month stretch and walked 47 hitters in 55 1/3 innings, but still kept his strikeout numbers up with 76 whiffs in that span. Blake Rutherford, OF, Class A Advanced Winston-Salem Rutherford, like Jimenez, has also put together a recent hot stretch down in the Carolina League. The White Sox No. 7 prospect, and No. 80 prospect overall, has hit safely in eight of his past nine games, going .361/.439/.500 in that period with a double and two triples. Rutherford has also scored nine runs and has tallied two three-hit games. This month, Rutherford is slashing .357/.438/.457, and leads Winston-Salem with six triples this season. Overall this year, he owns a .302/.349/.454 slash line with six homers. Ian Hamilton, RHP, Triple-A Charlotte Hamilton has seen continued success at the Triple-A level since his promotion from Birmingham last month. The White Sox No. 18 prospect has thrown 13 1/3 relief innings so far, and he owns a 2.03 ERA with just three walks and 13 strikeouts. Hamilton's strikeout rate of 8.8 per nine innings with Charlotte is lower than his 12.1 mark in Double-A, but he's cut his walk rate in half with his new team thus far. All three of Hamilton's runs allowed at Triple-A have come in one bad outing on July 15. He hasn't given up a run in each of his 12 other appearances.

Is this what turning the corner looks like for Carlos Rodon and Lucas Giolito? By Vinnie Duber / NBC Sports Chicago / July 23, 2018 Is this what turning the corner looks like for two guys who could be key pieces of the White Sox rotation of the future? A day after Reynaldo Lopez gave up five runs in the first inning and watched his ERA rise above 4.00 for the first time this season, the White Sox are in Anaheim, where they'll throw Lucas Giolito and Carlos Rodon in the first two games of this four-game set with the Los Angeles Angels. Both Rodon, because of missing the first two-plus months of the season for the second straight year, and Giolito, because he has ranked among the league leaders in walks all season long, have earned their fair share of questions from fans and observers who aren't sure about Rodon's long-term health or Giolito's long-term control. But what each of these guys flashed in their final two starts of the first half shows why the White Sox have the confidence they do that both guys can be at the top of the team's rotation the next time it's ready to contend for championships. Rodon, who had a 4.55 ERA in his first five starts of the season during the month of June, had back-to-back strong outings to close out the first half, holding the defending-champion Houston Astros to two runs over six innings and then tossing 7.1 shutout frames against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Giolito, who owned an ugly 6.93 ERA after giving up seven runs to the Cincinnati Reds in his first start of the month, strung together back-to-back gems to end his first half, giving up just two runs in 7.1 innings to the aforementioned Astros and throwing 6.1 scoreless innings against the Kansas City Royals. That's all great news for two guys who entered their respective seasons with big expectations. Rodon still carries the mantle of No. 3 draft pick, and despite his health woes, that brings with it the expectation of being a big-time contributor. Giolito, once the top-ranked pitching prospect in the game, was terrific in his first action with the White Sox at the end of last season and dominated during spring training. But each guy has dealt with his own issues. Rodon had shoulder surgery at the end of last season and for the second campaign in a row didn't throw his first pitch until June. The questions about whether he can stay healthy and live up to those high expectations will persist until he pitches a full season in the wake of two significant arm injuries. Giolito was expected to be the ace of this still-developing staff and has instead struggled mightily with his command. Heading into Monday night's action, only two pitchers in baseball — the Cubs' Tyler Chatwood and the Minnesota Twins' Lance Lynn — had issued more walks than Giolito. The results, though, have been great in each of their last two starts. So maybe this is them turning the corner. That's not to suggest these guys will go through the remainder of the season without a bad start. This is still a developmental season, after all, and growing pains are inevitable (and bad starts are inevitable in baseball, regardless of experience level). Nor is it to suggest that the past two starts for each guy have been spotless. Rodon walked six in his start against the Astros. Giolito is only three starts removed from getting pulverized by the Reds. But there's promise in these recent outings, and that's a good sign for this future-focused club. Both guys figure to have as good a chance as any to be a part of the team's rotation of the future, but there will obviously be heated competition for those spots. Lopez has had some notable success at the big league level this season. And then there's the wealth of arms currently developing in the minor leagues: Michael Kopech, Dylan Cease, Alec Hansen, Dane Dunning and others. Right now, Rodon, Giolito and Lopez have the opportunity to impress at the major league level, but it's only a matter of time until the wave of prospects washes ashore on the South Side. Certainly, Rodon and Giolito have been impressive in the immediate past, and they'll need to keep doing that to stay at the forefront of the conversation about the long-term future. Consistency is always the name of the game, of course, and two good starts could signal a great second half of the season or could be just a momentary flash of brilliance as the development continues for these two young pitchers. But maybe this is the turn White Sox fans have been waiting for.

'It was a really good team win:' White Sox win for the 5th time in 8 games By Bob Keisser / Chicago Tribune / July 23, 2018 There was noise coming from the White Sox clubhouse Monday night, the kind of joyful sounds the club hasn’t made much in 2018. Thanks to a collective night of good play, the Sox won for the fifth time in eight games with a 5-3 win over the Angels, a pleasant change of course for a team that set a team record for most losses at the all-star break. Jose Abreu had a home run and an RBI single, Lucas Giolito (7-8) pitched tough and composed for the third straight outing, and six pitchers stifled Angel comeback attempts in the last three innings. “It was a really good team win,” manager Rick Renteria said. “Lucas kept his composure and made some good pitches at big moments, and Jose is starting to chip away at it (his slump). I thought everybody did nice job.”

Abreu came into the game hitting .118 in his previous 15 games but slugged a fastball off Angels starter Jaime Barria in the first inning to give Giolito a lead. He had the big hit, an RBI single, in a three-run sixth that turned a 3-2 deficit into a 5-3 lead. “I’ve spent many nights thinking of ways to get out of this,” said Abreu, who started at first base for the AL in the All-Star game. “I have the same routine every day, but it’s been difficult. I really felt good about the home run because I really wanted to help the team.” Giolito gave up a home run to Shohei Ohtani but the other two runs were the result of shortstop Tim Anderson having a routine grounder skip over his glove for a double by David Fletcher. He battled through a tough fifth – a double by Fletcher, intentional walk to Mike Trout and unintentional walk to Justin Upton on a 3-2 pitch – to load the bases with two outs. But he got Albert Pujols to ground out and then worked a clean sixth. He allowed five hits and struck out five in his six innings. Joakim Soria gave up a single and walked Trout to put two on with two outs in the ninth, but struck out Upton on a called 3-2 strike to end the game and notch his 15th save. Giolito grew up in L.A. and starred at Harvard-Westlake High School, but until Monday he had yet to throw a pitch as a professional in the state of California. He had a mass of friends and family in the crowd. “I definitely wanted it to be a good one,” he said. He pitched once at Angels Stadium in a showcase event while in high school. “I remember liking the mound,’’ he said. “It sits high and it’s a good feeling to be on top.” Giolito added: “I’m in a much better place pitching-wise. I’m more relaxed and I’m not trying to figure things out when I’m on the field. The fifth inning was a grind, but I got out of it and got the team back in the dugout.” Notes: Outfielder Avisail Garcia was scratched from the starting lineup after feeling sick before the game. He left the park to see a doctor, then returned and played an inning of defense … Leury Garcia had a triple and scored in the fifth, and catcher Kevan Smith had two RBIs, on a ground out and when he was hit in the back on a 3-2 pitch in the three-run sixth … Renteria used Xavier Cedeno (three batters), Juan Minaya (2), Jace Fry (1), Jeanmar Gomez (1) and Luis Avilan (1) in the seventh and eighth to work around bad matchups while pitching around Trout and Ohtani … Trout came to the plate five times but did not have an official at-bat, walking four times and hitting a sacrifice fly. He’s only the fourth player in MLB history to go 0-for-0 in a game with two stolen bases (minimum five plate appearances).

Lucas Giolito hoping improved recent outings for White Sox a sign he's moving out of 'prospect' phase By Bob Keisser / Chicago Tribune / July 23, 2018 Lucas Giolito has been a top prospect since he was a sophomore at Harvard-Westlake High School, an hour’s drive from Angel Stadium, where he established early that his 6-foot-6 frame and four-pitch array were perfect fits for a major-league pitcher. Eight years later, Giolito is ready to put the prospect phase behind him. The 24-year-old right-hander started Monday’s opener of a four-game series with the Angels hoping to repeat his previous two efforts and secure his spot in the White Sox rotation for good. Giolito allowed two hits and no runs in a victory over the Royals and three hits and two runs in a sharp six-plus innings against the defending World Series champion Astros.

His 6.18 ERA is the highest of any starting pitcher in the American League, mostly the product of averaging 5.23 walks per nine innings. It’s never a good sign when a pitcher has almost as many walks (60) as he has strikeouts (63). But this is the first season Giolito has been a regular starter. He was 3-3 in seven starts to end 2017 with the Sox. He also hasn’t received much support; the Sox have scored one run or fewer in 10 of his 20 starts. “You can see his growth in the last two games,” manager Rick Renteria said. “He’s not fighting things as much as he was earlier. He has a better feel for his breaking ball his last three or four outings.” He’s working hard to overcome slow starts in several games. “I want to prove that as a starting pitcher I can get out of a jam early in the game and I can give you more solid innings,” Giolito said. “It’s an adjustment to be able to control the pace of a game in the big leagues. I think I’ve learned a lot this season.” Garcia sidelined: Right fielder Avisail Garcia, who returned from the 10-day disabled list over the weekend and went 1-for-8 in two games against the Mariners, was a late scratch from Monday’s lineup. It wasn’t a flare-up of his strained hamstring. He began to feel sick after Sunday’s game and was still ailing Monday. “We thought it was smarter to pull him and get him checked out by the doctors,” Renteria said. “Why wait? Just find out what’s going on and get him well.” Leury Garcia, who was hitting .360 in his previous six games, started in his place. Prospect watch: The Sox have a young roster and a fleet of good prospects in the minor leagues, some doing so well that fans and observers wonder why they haven’t been called up. The Sox set a team record for losses at the break (62), and only the Royals and Orioles have worse records. “It’s a good question,” Renteria said. “It has more to do with the thinking of the guys at the top (management). There are a lot of guys who are doing well and pushing and knocking on the door. But you don’t make those decisions just based on that. “A lot of what we’re doing this season is finding out how some of our young players fit, and in what roles. That was part of the timing in bringing Yoan (Moncada) and Lucas up last season, making sure it was the right time for the team and the player.” General manager Rick Hahn has assembled a good crop of young players and is managing their promotion based on when they’re ready and not by fans’ desire to see new faces on a team that is clearly building for 2019 and beyond. Eloy Jimenez is the No. 2-ranked prospect in all of baseball and has been on a tear since returning from a brief stop on the disabled list. He has four doubles and three home runs in his last eight games with a .424 average and whopping .818 slugging percentage at Triple-A Charlotte. Pitcher Michael Kopech has seven quality starts at Charlotte.

White Sox’ Avisail Garcia OK after feeling chest pains, rapid heartbeat By Doug Padilla / Sun-Times / July 23, 2018 ANAHEIM, Calif. – White Sox outfielder Avisail Garcia was examined at an Orange County hospital Monday for minor chest pains and a rapid heartbeat, but he returned to enter the Sox’ 5-3 victory against the Los Angeles Angels in the eighth inning. Garcia was a late scratch from Monday’s lineup and was taken for a medical examination. He returned during the game and was immediately available to play.

“I was feeling a little pressure in my chest, and my heart was beating so fast,” Garcia said. “It was two days like that, and I was a little nervous. That’s why I went to the hospital to check it out because I have a family. I was a little scared.” Garcia said his medical condition could have been brought on by medication he was taking for a recent hamstring injury. He returned from the 10-day disabled list Saturday at Seattle. “I was able to play the game, it just took a little longer,” Garcia said. “I thank God to get here in time to play defense. I like to play the game. Now I feel good because my heart is good and everything is good. I’m not worried about anything.” There was positive news on the field, too, as the Sox weathered a home run from rookie sensation Shohei Ohtani and took down the Angels for their fifth victory in their last eight games. There was Jose Abreu’s two RBI, including a first-inning home run, after hitting coach Todd Stevenson referenced Abreu’s refined thought process in the midst of a six-week power outage. There was Lucas Giolito working out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning after giving up runs in consecutive innings to keep the Angels within reach. And there was reliever Jayce Fry, who made sure he was not Ohtani’s second victim of the night. The left-hander tied up Ohtani in the eighth inning for a key strikeout to keep the Sox out of danger. There were pleasant surprises, too, like Leury Garcia, who tripled and scored in the fifth. His sacrifice fly in the sixth brought home the go-ahead run. Leury Garcia was Avisail Garcia’s replacement in right field. The victory ended the Sox’ six-game losing streak at Angel Stadium. They had lost 14 of their last 15 games in the Angels’ home park, winning in Anaheim for the first time since Aug. 20, 2015. Giolito, who grew up in nearby Santa Monica, about an hour’s drive west on the rare day without traffic on the 405 freeway, gave up three runs and five hits in six innings. He worked his way around four walks, one intentional, collecting five strikeouts. “For me, it was a little special because this was my first time pitching in California as a professional,” Giolitto said. “Coming back home, pitching in front of a lot of family and friends, I definitely wanted it to be a good one, and luckily we pulled it out.” Abreu said he poured over film late Sunday night to get him ready for the Angels series and to get his season restarted. The tactic worked, and it led to a victory that had many contributors. “Each one of the guys did their part, and things in the end were good for us,” Abreu said through an interpreter. “For us it’s important, in this process, to keep moving forward because all of the young guys we have, it’s important for them to keep working hard.” It was Abreu’s second home run since June 27 and first on the road since June 5 at Minnesota. His 322nd extra-base hit tied Jermaine Dye for 19th in franchise history, one shy of A.J. Pierzynski. “He’s been talking about trying to stay to his strength, which is middle of the diamond, away,” manager Rick Renteria said of Abreu. “I think it was a breaking ball he hit, and he put a good swing on it. He’s really been working hard, and his previous at-bats in Seattle were pretty good and I think he’s chipping away and coming back a little bit.”

White Sox’ Leury Garcia steps in, steps up in win over Angels By Doug Padilla / Sun-Times / July 23, 2018 ANAHEIM, Calif. — With Avisail Garcia a late scratch Monday because of an undisclosed illness, Leury Garcia took advantage of his opportunity.

He had a triple and scored in the fifth inning as a late lineup addition and put the White Sox ahead with a sacrifice fly in the sixth against the Angels in the 5-3 victory. The Sox won for the fifth time in their last eight games. With the trade deadline a week away, Garcia’s late scratch caused a stir, but manager Rick Renteria confirmed the illness. “Avi is sick; we’re going to have him checked out,” Renteria said. “He wasn’t feeling good, so I’m not going to wait. I’m going to set the lineup and let Leury get in there.” After an off-site examination, Garcia was given a clean bill of health, according to the Sox, and returned to Angel Stadium during the game. He entered the game in right field in the eighth inning. Avisail Garcia had a hit in 15 of his previous 17 games since June  23, blasting nine home runs in that stretch with a 1.110 OPS. Sox starter Lucas Giolito (7-8) allowed three runs and five hits in six innings, and Jose Abreu hit his 14th home run. Angels rookie Shohei Ohtani hit his eighth homer. Bullpen for Fulmer After some struggles in the rotation at Class AAA Charlotte, 2015 first-round draft pick Carson Fulmer is seeing some time out of the bullpen. The Sox seem to like what they see after four of his five outings were scoreless. “I think it just has to do with seeing if that is a better fit,” Renteria said. “Not that starting isn’t a fit, but we have a lot of guys coming through, and we need to start helping these guys evolve into what might be the next phase of their career with us.” This and that Outfielder Eloy Jimenez was named International League batter of the week after going 12-for-28 with three home runs at Charlotte. † Outfielder Ryan Cordell, a member of the Sox’ 40-man roster, returned from the disabled list and was assigned to Class AA Birmingham.

Jose Abreu’s homer in first inning may be sign he’s breaking out of slump By Doug Padilla / Sun-Times / July 23, 2018 ANAHEIM, Calif. — Jose Abreu walked through the White Sox’ clubhouse Monday afternoon with his head held high and with a hello for everybody he saw. Abreu might be in what hitting coach Todd Steverson characterized as the longest dry spell of his accomplished major-league tenure, but the All-Star looked far from defeated. Call it a sign that good things were ahead. Abreu hit a home run in the first inning against Angels right-hander Jaime Barria, only his second since June 28. Heading into the series opener against the Angels, Abreu was carrying a .313 slugging percentage going back to June 2. In his previous 15 games, he had only six hits in 51 at-bats (.118). And in his previous 48 games, going back to May 27, he was batting only .177 (32-for-181).

He was still named an American League All-Star starter during his downturn, but the biggest reason for what appeared to be a healthy dose of optimism was probably because of his disposition. “He’s good,” Steverson insisted. “Like anybody else, he’s human, and he’s going to get frustrated because he wants to do something. He is very stubborn to that level where he expects a lot out of himself. I don’t disagree with him. That’s the way he came in, and that’s the way he’s going to be.” Steverson saw the little things in Seattle that indicated an imminent breakthrough for Abreu. It might have been because he remains as optimistic as the steady hitter he’s trying to help get back on track. Abreu had only one hit in 12 at-bats against the Mariners over the weekend, but Steverson saw something in that single up the middle. Manager Rick Renteria might have seen something, too, but mostly he used the occasion for a bit of levity. “Actually, most people probably didn’t see me getting excited,” Renteria said. “I even asked for the ball after the base hit to center for him.” In reality, Renteria wanted Abreu to laugh a bit, just in case he was fretting on the inside while smiling all the while. “I think sometimes he puts a little more on his plate; he wants to carry us a little bit more,” Renteria said. “And he’s never lost confidence. It’s just a matter of, honestly, getting good pitches to hit, staying in his zone, continuing to trust the things he’s capable of doing and the things he has done over a long period of time in his career.” Steverson admitted that there was a two-week stretch — perhaps it extended to three weeks — during which Abreu looked nothing like himself. But he insisted that Abreu has shown a much different look now that the second half has started. One sign was a walk Saturday in which Abreu got ahead in the count before taking his free pass. Could it really be that simple? Abreu walked back to the dugout after crossing the plate following his first at-bat Monday with his head held high and a high-five for everybody he saw. “We talk about, ‘If you’ve done it before, you can do it again,’ ” Steverson said. “And it’s just a matter of clearing your brain, setting that reset button. It can take just one hit to start something or one good barrel to remember something.”

Jimenez continues strong push to Chicago White Sox's roster By Scot Gregor / Daily Herald / July 23, 2018 When he last spoke of Eloy Jimenez, Chicago White Sox general manager Rick Hahn focused on the prolific prospect's health. "He's progressing nicely," Hahn said. That was on July 10, when Jimenez still was recovering from a strained left adductor. Were the Sox contending and in need of an impact bat, they might have pushed Jimenez a bit. They're not, so they didn't. "One thing that given the situation we're in right now is we're always going to err on the side of caution with these guys," Hahn said. "There's no reason to push Eloy if there's any reason whatsoever with him. We're going to make sure everything is 100 percent resolved and go from there."

Losers of 20 of their last 27 road games heading into Monday night's game against Los Angeles, the White Sox trailed led 5-3 in the seventh inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Jose Abreu gave the Sox the early lead with a home run (No. 14) in the first. Jimenez felt good enough to return to Class AAA Charlotte's lineup on July 15, and he is obviously healthy. After batting .429 (12-for-28) with 6 runs scored, 3 doubles, 3 home runs and 6 RBI from July 16-22, the 21-year-old outfielder was named International League Batter of the Week Monday. In 20 games with Charlotte, Jimenez is batting .351/.400/.622 with 5 doubles, 5 home runs and 10 RBI. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder missed the first two weeks of the season with a pectoral injury before slashing .317/.368/.556 with 10 homers and 42 RBI in 53 games with AA Birmingham. Jimenez was promoted to Charlotte on June 21. "He's driving the ball to all fields with power," director of player development Chris Getz said at the time. "The hit tool is very good as well. He's hammering fastballs. Talk about maturity, he's definitely beyond his years in how he handles the game as a whole." The White Sox were eager to see how Jimenez would handle the better quality of pitching at Triple-A, and so far it has been a breeze. The next stop is the major leagues -- so when will Jimenez be joining the White Sox? "If he forces our hand," Getz said, "we're certainly going to have that conversation about him coming to Chicago."

Carson Fulmer knows the quickest way back to Chicago is through the bullpen By James Fegan / The Athletic / July 23, 2018 CHARLOTTE — The night he was removed from the White Sox rotation and optioned to Triple-A Charlotte, Carson Fulmer ended his last two answers by stating the same goal: “get back up here as soon as I can.” He did not specify how. After nine starts in Charlotte, which saw him run up a 5.80 ERA and a troubling 32 walks in 45 innings, the White Sox informed Fulmer just how he could expedite his return. “When an organization calls you and tells you they want to push you to the ‘pen because of the chance for you to get back up to the big leagues as soon as possible, it’s tough,” Fulmer said. “Really didn’t know how to react at first but I think I can be really helpful out of the bullpen. I think I’ll definitely have a chance here soon. Just getting up there and being able to establish myself is the biggest key for me.” If Fulmer is stewing over the switch or feeling a sense of failure as a season that began with him cracking the opening day starting rotation now has him pitching late innings in Charlotte, that quote is as much as he’s showing it. Fresh off his fifth relief appearance for the Knights on Sunday — one which saw him shake off a whiff of command troubles and end 1 1/3 innings of scoreless ball by smacking his glove in glee after he induced an inning-ending double-play ball — Fulmer made liberal use of the word “pumped” in describing his feeling about his new role. “I love it, I love it,” Fulmer said. “I think it’s a really good role for me. I know that the organization is definitely seeing me in that role. I definitely could help obviously this team, but the big league team in that role as

well. I’m a guy that loves adrenaline, loves coming in and getting out of situations. I train for being able to bounce back quick and I think it’s a role I’m definitely settling into.” Fulmer, who has avoided health problems throughout his professional career, and Knights pitching coach Steve McCatty both noted his ability to bounce back quickly physically. Once that would have been part of the selling point for why he could be a 200-inning workhorse, but now it will optimistically be the reason he can come in and access his high-powered stuff three times per week in ways that his command struggles didn’t allow that stuff to show up in the rotation. So far, Fulmer would describe his relief experience — beyond his previous times in college and his major league debut and enough other stretches to make it old hat — as four good appearances out of five. He’s covered 6 1/3 innings, struck out five, walked three and allowed two earned runs while holding opposing hitters to a .222/.333/.278 batting line. The results are generally positive, but the sample is too thin to really draw conclusions. The glimpses — a scintillating inning on Friday when he pumped 94 mph, spun a few knee-buckling curves and looked at the height of his powers, and a battle for his control on Sunday that he was able to find one pitch to diffuse — were more convincing he’s in a good spot. His good moments were really good, and he’s not in a spot where he can dig a deep hole during his bad ones. “For him, I see a difference in the tempo that he’s having, he’s locating pitches more,” McCatty said. “He’s throwing the ball really well. He had one where he gave up a couple runs in Durham but I thought they were good pitches and they just put some good passes on it. He’s done well. It’s a good spot for him.” McCatty thinks the life of a reliever will afford Fulmer more time to just pitch, and less to dwell on his bad outings. But as a former big-league-reliever-turned-starter himself, he doesn’t see the switch as a permanent ending to Fulmer’s career in the rotation. He thinks the move should be seen the way it was sold to Fulmer, as a path back to the majors, where anything can happen if he has success. “We took a guy with the Nationals in the minor leagues,” McCatty said. “Starting, kinda the same mold: four, five innings, lot of pitches. Well, we don’t think that’s going to work, let’s put him in the bullpen, see what happens. That was Tyler Clippard. For five years, whatever it was, and he’s still there, he was probably the most eighth-inning guy, setup guy, for five years. To say it’s a failure that you didn’t get there as a starter … if you get there, it’s not a failure. Doesn’t matter how you do it.” For now, it still looks like a starter’s arsenal. Fulmer is going to stick with a four-pitch mix of four-seamer, cutter, curveball, changeup, giving him a Jace Fry-like kitchen-sink attack against hitters. He’s still stretched out enough to be a multi-inning option, and his velocity has stuck around 92-94 mph, though perhaps it could tick back up to the levels he saw at Vanderbilt if he focuses on working in short bursts through next offseason. But to Fulmer’s credit, he is not approaching the assignment as a means to the end of returning to the rotation, but his new reality. The expectations of being an eighth overall pick are absent, and there’s no disputing what’s the best step for his career going forward. “Starting had ups and downs: I pitched really well at times and I didn’t pitch well at times,” Fulmer said. “Out of my five outings, I’ve had four really good ones. Being able to build off each one and bring my powerful stuff out onto the table is big. I’ve always felt comfortable in the bullpen. I think I can have a long career in any role. Out of the bullpen is something I’m really excited about and I definitely think my opportunity is coming here soon.”

TA30: Baseball is back and so are the MLB power rankings, where the highs are high and the lows are low By Matthew Kory / The Athletic / July 23, 2018 Every week, we ask all of our baseball writers — both the local scribes and the national team, more than 30 writers in all — to rank the teams from first to worst. Here are the collective results.

Baseball is back and, like the weather on parts of the East Coast, it’s ready to punch you in the face, turn your lights out, and carry your truck down the street. The Astros and Yankees are streaking toward 100 wins while the Red Sox are aiming higher, perhaps even eyeing the 2001 Mariners’ record. Meanwhile, the Royals, Orioles, and White Sox are collecting losses like they’ll be able to trade them for prospects at the deadline (… unless Rob Manfred makes a significant rule change, they will not). The Brewers and Rangers are self-destructing, and the Pirates and Red Sox are surging. Also, Manny Machado looks weird in blue. Let’s get to the rankings! 1. Boston Red Sox, 70-31 (previously: 1) There was a time when Chris Sale was considered a reliever-to-be and an overdraft by the White Sox. Now he’s the best pitcher in baseball. In his last 100 innings, Sale has a 2.07 ERA and 152 strikeouts. Yet it doesn’t seem Sale’s hot streak has even been maximized, as Boston is 9-6 in those starts. 2. Houston Astros, 66-36 (previously: 3) The Astros have given up the fewest runs in baseball, 46 less than second-place Boston and 213 fewer than last-place Kansas City. The worst pitcher on their staff is Ken Giles; on some teams, Giles would be considered the shutdown reliever. And by “some teams” I mean the Royals. 3. New York Yankees, 63-34 (previously: 2) Rumors are circulating that the Yankees might like to trade Sonny Gray. That is odd because 95-win playoff-bound teams don’t typically deal starters from their rotation. So maybe that’s not the case. But let me gently push back on that a moment. Gray has a 5.34 ERA and has been worth negative WAR. New York, with their incredible offense, is 9-10 in his starts. If anyone wants to give the Yankees something of value for Gray, I’m sure they’d love to deal him. Got an unopened bag of Cheetos, enough cash in your couch to cover a pro-rated $6.5 million salary, and a black hole in your starting rotation? Give Brian Cashman a call! 4. Chicago Cubs, 58-40 (previously: 4) The Cubs are here despite the fact that Anthony Rizzo is tied for 18th in WAR — which you might think sounds good, but I cut myself off before I could add “on his own team.” Rizzo will only fall further down that list if the Cubs trade for a reliever or if, say, the mascot pinch-hits. 5. Los Angeles Dodgers, 55-44 (previously: 13) Matt Kemp has a .900 OPS, 17 homers, and in the last four years, three teams (including the one he currently plays for!) have essentially dumped him. There are many things odder than Matt Kemp’s resurgence in 2018, but if you limit the sample to “baseball,” then there aren’t many. At one point this season, the Dodgers were ranked 20th on this list, so this is quite a comeback — and now they have Manny Machado, too. 6. Cleveland Indians, 54-44 (previously: 9) The Indians traded one prospect, Francisco Mejía, to the Padres for two relievers, Brad Hand and Adam Cimber. This proves once and for all the organization does not believe Brad Hand is worth two in the bush leagues. 7. Milwaukee Brewers, 56-45 (previously: 5) Have you seen the new Mr. Rogers movie? I haven’t yet, but I really want to, because I’ve heard it’s great and I used to love watching Mr. Rogers as a kid. I know this is supposed to be a Brewers blurb, but given

how things have been going for Milwaukee… you don’t actually want to talk about them this week, do you? So yeah, maybe check out that Mr. Rogers movie instead. T-8. Seattle Mariners, 60-40 (previously: 7) The Mariners are 26-12 in one-run games, which is why they are 20 games over .500 yet have only outscored their opponents by a single run. So why have they struggled (7-9) so far in July? Science leads us to just one inescapable conclusion: They’ve only played two one-run games all month. Clearly, the answer is for them to play closer games! Their fans’ hearts can totally handle it. T-8. Oakland Athletics, 57-43 (previously: 15) A’s fans are happy because, for the first time since 2014, the team is adding at the trade deadline. So I’ll ask you to politely ignore the at least 15 percent chance that Oakland traded for Jeurys Familia in order to trade him again sometime within the next two weeks. 10. Philadelphia Phillies, 55-43 (previously: 14) It’s a shame the Phillies weren’t able to trade for Manny Machado, and a bit further of a shame that Machado went to a National League rival, but look at it this way: The Phillies might not have Machado now, but they’re only $300 million or so from having Machado next season and every season until 2028. 11. Atlanta Braves, 53-43 (previously: 6) This time in 2017 the Braves were under .500 and 11 games behind the Washington Nationals. Of course, that was before Nick Markakis became the human embodiment of the unpredictability of 2018. Just imagine if the Braves had kept Matt Kemp! 12. Arizona Diamondbacks, 54-46 (last ranking: T-10) Does Zack Godley have Jon Lester disease? On one hand, let’s hope not, but on the other, he could do worse than be a little more like Jon Lester. The Diamondbacks are smack dab in the middle of the most competitive division in baseball, so they can’t be happy that they’re now looking up at the team that just traded for Manny Machado. And yet, they don’t seem upset. 13. Colorado Rockies, 53-46 (previously: 16) Kyle Freeland is turning into an ace before our very eyes. Between him and Jon Gray, who has pitched much better than his ERA indicates, the Rockies might just have something brewing in the rotation for the first time since somewhere around 2007. So it’s ironic that the weak link for the Rockies is their bullpen… which is where they’ve spent all their money. 14. Washington Nationals, 49-49 (previously: 8) A team that was the consensus bet to run away with the division has now descended into internal squabbles, and no, we’re not talking about the Mets (though we probably could be; just give them a few minutes). It feels like the Nationals are held together by Juan Soto, Matt Adams’ bat, and the tide-lifting power of Max Scherzer’s eyes. In other news, closer Sean Doolittle may hit the DL with a stress reaction in his foot, which sounds less like an injury and more like what I did before every test in high school. 15. St. Louis Cardinals, 50-49 (previously: 12) This blurb has to be about the six consecutive games Matt Carpenter homered in. And so it is! Now we can move on to talk about what is really important: The fact that Mike Matheny outlawed the Cardinals, who are last in baseball in the category, from hitting triples. (No, Matheny probably didn’t have anything much to do with it, but always works to heap blame on the guy who just got the boot.)

16. Pittsburgh Pirates, 51-49 (previously: 19) Good news, Pirates fans: You’re in third place now and your best player is Corey Dickerson! Oh…no, wait. [shuffles papers] Francisco Cervelli has restarted baseball activities. Yay! 17. Los Angeles Angels, 50-50 (previously: T-10) Welp. Here we are again. The Angels are Mike Trout, Andrelton Simmons, parts of Shohei Ohtani, some nice red uniforms, Albert Pujols’ contract, good weather, and that’s about it. Unlike previous seasons, you can’t accuse the Angels of not trying. We’re going on eight years of the Mike Trout Era in L.A. and the Angels have a grand total of zero postseason wins. Zero. 18. San Francisco Giants, 51-50 (previously: 17) Brandon Crawford’s turnaround this season has been remarkable. He went from an OPS 15 percent below average last season to one 21 percent above average this season. So Giants fans should definitely forgive the winning run that scored after a grounder got under his glove on Sunday. 21 percent above average OPS. Forgive! 19. Tampa Bay Rays, 50-49 (previously: 21) On one hand, Daniel Robertson’s walk-off grand slam was pretty sweet. On the other, it avoids a sweep at the hands of the Marlins, which is a bit like catching the last kid tossing a roll of T.P. over your house. Yeah, you got one, but your house is still covered in 80 rolls of two-ply. 20. Toronto Blue Jays, 46-52 (previously: 22) The Blue Jays haven’t made any trades since we last tossed Blue Jays jokes, like pies, at your face in this space. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t coming, because they are most certainly coming. 21. Minnesota Twins, 44-53 (previously: 20) Remember when the Twins had a pitching type? They loved — just adored — starting pitchers who couldn’t strike hitters out. Those guys played the game the right way, or the way it was played in 1925, or something. Well, bad news, because Twins’ pitchers now get strikeouts. Not a ton, but about average. Now that they’ve fixed the strikeout problem, they can move on to fixing the “not being very good” part, and they’ll be all set. 22. Cincinnati Reds, 43-56 (previously: 27) We don’t always think of the Reds when we think of shrewd baseball maneuvers, but think about this. The Mets cut Matt Harvey. The Reds picked him up. Harvey, whether through better coaching, better atmosphere, better health, or something more nebulous, improved in Cincinnati. Now the Reds can turn around and trade Harvey for prospects. That’s pretty shrewd. (Although Harvey could still pitch himself into staying with a few more of these.) 23. Texas Rangers, 42-58 (previously: 25) Can Joey Gallo play right field? If so, that means the Rangers only have 24 more roster spots to figure out. 24. Detroit Tigers, 42-59 (previously: 18) It’s just bad luck that in this year when the Tigers are really bottoming out, when the goal is to trade away anyone with any value, when hope probably means 2020 at the earliest (not an uncommon sentiment

these days), they’ll still be looking down at the Royals, Orioles, and White Sox. Tanking is now like a good Manhattan pre-school: It takes far more advanced planning than should be required. 25. Miami Marlins, 43-58 (previously: 28) It may not always be exciting to go watch a Marlins game this year. The team gets that, which is why they have assembled a pitching staff that has given up 67 homers, the second most in baseball and just one “behind” the Royals. If you can’t put together a good team, then at least put together a dramatic one, right? 26. New York Mets, 40-56 (previously: 24) It’s time, once again, for baseball fans’ favorite quiz game… Crowd: That’s! So! Mets! Okay, let’s put 30 seconds on the clock. Are you ready? Here goes! Today’s question is, which of these Mets-related items is not true? One of the two good starters on the Mets just came down with Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease, a sickness that typically strikes toddlers, and one you absolutely don’t want to do a Google Image search for (really — do not do it.) The Mets sent off perhaps their best trade piece to Oakland for a return that Jim Bowden said was “so light” that at first he didn’t believe it. The Mets’ owners, the Wilpons, lost $175 million to Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme. The correct answer is D. The Wilpons actually lost $178 million to Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, not 175. Thanks for playing… Crowd: That’s! So! Mets! 27. San Diego Padres, 41-61 (previously: 23) The Padres went 19-12 and won the National League in spring training. So maybe this season is just a case of championship hangover? Yes, that’s probably it. 28. Chicago White Sox, 34-64 (previously: 26) As an organization, they’re looking ahead to 2021. And no, it’s not because “by then all of the good Cleveland players will have left.” Why do you have to be so negative? 29. Kansas City Royals, 30-68 (previously: 29) Know what’s weird? The Royals are bad. So bad they should be calling every team in the league to gauge their interest in just about every player the Royals have under contract. Anyone want Sluggerrr? How about the carpeting? And yet, search MLB Trade Rumors and the only two players who are even mentioned are Whit Merrifield and Mike Moustakas. Perhaps someone should wake Dayton Moore up and explain that the trade deadline is coming? 30. Baltimore Orioles, 28-72 (previously: 30) Because it’s depressing, we won’t mention Manny Machado (…oops). Instead, we’ll focus on the future. In a rare bit of forward-thinking, the Orioles announced they want to become more involved in the international market. Orioles fans with any memory whatsoever have to hope this goes better than it did last time, when the Orioles entire scouting department got themselves banned from South Korea.

Eloy Jiménez’s mature approach is making Triple-A a breeze. So when will he be in Chicago?

By James Fegan / The Athletic / July 23, 2018 CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Eloy Jiménez’s goals for the rest of the year don’t seem particularly aggressive. “My goal is to finish in the majors,” he said. “I just try to hit .300, it’s my goal every year, 70 or more RBI and 15 or more homers.” After interrupting his off-day Sunday to lash a pinch-hit single to right field in a ninth-inning rally, Jiménez closed the weekend batting .326 between Charlotte and Birmingham, and he mashed his 15th home run of the season on Friday. As a result of missing around 25 games due to injury, he’s still stuck on 52 RBI, but he would probably be willing to count major league numbers toward that total, in case that first goal comes relatively soon. That’s speculation, of course, since the 21-year-old Jiménez will only go so far on the topic. “I don’t try to focus on it being one step away,” Jiménez said. “I just try to play hard here in Triple-A. When God gives me the opportunity to go to the majors, I’m going to do my job.” The prevailing theory in Charlotte — which is only a month into full-blown Eloy Mania with everyone loving every second of it — is that the gregarious one-liner and line-drive machine, who has not drawn a walk in the month of July, is not a raw talent, but actually a marvel for how extraordinarily polished he is. Instead of viewing plate discipline purely in terms of walks, for Jiménez it’s best to see it how Kevin Goldstein, Astros special assistant to the general manager, described Paul Konerko’s approach: an oval-shape zone in which he attacks any pitch that arrives, but doesn’t stray outside. “In order to be a good hitter, you have to be aggressive and I think that when you’re selectively aggressive, you only get better,” Charlotte Knights hitting coach Andy Tomberlin said. “You miss less because you’re not covering as much of an area, because you’re able to process it and eliminate certain things, and you’re focusing in on where you can do it, and how to do it. That, to me, is more of a fine, finished product.” Elite prospects often find a way of tooling their way to the majors. Carlos Rodón’s stuff was too immense to really be challenged by Triple-A hitters, even with still-developing command. Yoán Moncada’s tremendous bat speed overcame any length in his swing and Triple-A pitchers did not have the command to exploit his patience. Jiménez has nutty, possibly true top of the scale power, which helps him stay within his approach because he never has to add, muscle up, or look to pull the ball to reach the seats. Yet the thing that has made his time in Triple-A increasingly resemble peak-era Miguel Cabrera on a minor league rehab assignment, is how unfazed he’s been by the challenges to his approach that more advanced pitch sequencing was supposed to offer. He has found the experience useful and helpful, but even after just 18 games in Dominican Winter League, he also finds the idea of veteran pitchers trying to out-think him as commonplace. “Sometimes they’re not going to throw you a cookie in a hitter’s count, but it’s really good — how they pitch and how they adjust,” Jiménez said. “It’s kind of like winter ball. I played winter ball last year and it’s kind of like that. A lot of breaking balls but I can adjust to it.” The White Sox obviously expected Jiménez to make these adjustments. Player development chief Chris Getz made it clear the team was not expecting any sort of steep learning curve nor prolonged struggles for their top prospect in Charlotte, but the absence of any is still disarming. He was merely kind of good for his first nine games at Charlotte, then started to heat up, strained his adductor, and seemingly never missed a step on the path to dominance. He has struck out twice in his last 43 plate appearances, while clubbing eight extra-base hits, and as a result his line in Triple-A has quickly become deeply unreasonable (.351/.400/.622 in 80 plate appearances).

“I know he’s human so he is going to go through — in the history of the game the best that’s ever played it do have streaks where they’re not on time perfectly — well, I haven’t seen a whole lot of that struggle or anything like that learning curve, so to speak,” Tomberlin said. “We all have that moment where we get humbled. Right now the game looks easy to him, for me. I look at him…it’s already hard, but he makes it look easier.” In the name of avoiding another story that does nothing beyond gawk in astonishment at the virtuosity of Jiménez’s bat, his defense does not exhibit the same precociousness he shows at the plate. If the White Sox call him up, they will have a left fielder with the seasoning more typical of a 21-year-old, and rather than the athleticism to cancel that out, it will come packaged in an extremely large man whose body takes time to hit maximum speed. Jiménez says he’s more focused while he’s out shagging during batting practice these days, and making a conscious effort to work on his reads, even if he doesn’t beam with confidence on the topic like he does with his hitting. The goal for his defense settles more on words like “sufficient” and “decent.” In the neverending quest to find something that Jiménez needs to really work on at the plate, Tomberlin, a 16-year hitting coach, provided the most satisfying answer of “everything,” asserting that Jiménez’s skill was something he had to “use or lose,” and that the moment he became lazy or self-satisfied, his approach would slip and his performance would regress. It’s the type of reminder that dismisses the idea that Jiménez is totally wasting his time facing Triple-A pitching for the next couple of weeks, but also doesn’t reflect a concern anyone currently has about him. If he weren’t naturally diligent, he wouldn’t be good, and he’s very, very good. “He’s at the top of the list,” Tomberlin said when asked where Jiménez ranks among hitters he’s seen. “I’ve been around a lot of great players. As young as he is and as advanced of a player he is, it’s hard to compare. There are so few people that I can compare that to. In baseball, we always compare, like this guy reminds me of somebody. He reminds me of someone who is making his path and his legacy, and I think he’s not satisfied to the point where he’s going to stop working hard.”

Sox is singular: Second half same as the first so far for the White Sox By Jim Margalus / The Athletic / July 23, 2018 Three games in and the second half of the 2018 White Sox season looks an awful lot like the first, starting with the simple notion that they lost two of three games. I suppose I could end it there, but posterity demands specifics (and The Athletic a three-digit word count). In the first series of the rest of this season, James Shields maintained his well-over-200-innings pace and Dylan Covey was more like Dealing Covey for the first time since he out-pitched Chris Sale and Trevor Bauer in consecutive starts during the first half of June. On a less scintillating note, two left-handed starters dismantled the White Sox offense, which includes a José Abreu that still doesn’t hit the ball both hard and fair with any regularity. Chris Volstad and Héctor Santiago were present and ineffective in short relief outings. Covering both outcomes? All Opening Day outfielders are back on the same roster. On Friday, Nicky Delmonico returned from the disabled list and replaced Charlie Tilson. A day later, Avisaíl García took Ryan LaMarre’s spot. That means all three all three Opening Day outfielders are finally healthy and active, although Delmonico and García still haven’t flanked Adam Engel in a game since late April. When Rick Renteria’s lineup card finally features all three again, it’ll have all the significance of Smash Mouth touring with its original lineup. That’s a little unfair to García, who could end up leading the White Sox in homers despite missing significant time. It’s also a little unfair to Smash Mouth, because Delmonico and Engel are both slugging under .300. It’s also less than inspiring for a White Sox team that is about a week away from going four months without a momentous roster move in 2018. Then again, the same could be said for the previous year’s team.

To use Rick Hahn’s parlance, the trade deadline forced the issue more than anything when it came to the timing of promotions in 2017. Yoan Moncada, Reynaldo López and Lucas Giolito all made their long-awaited White Sox debuts in late July or later because the club first waited for deadline deals to open spots on the 25-man roster. Moncada, for example, simply replaced Todd Frazier in the infield picture after the Sox struck that mega-deal with the Yankees, rather than temporarily forcing Yolmer Sánchez out of a starting job. They waited even longer with the pitchers, as López didn’t replace Mike Pelfrey until early August, with Giolito following weeks later. There’s even less urgency this time around because there are fewer bodies to move above. You can rationalize some of it. Michael Kopech seems like the team’s best shot at getting strikeouts from a starting pitcher this year, but he’s only recently strung together strong starts after a tumultuous June. Covey, the rotation’s weak link, stood his ground by throwing 8 1/3 shutout innings against Seattle on Saturday. If the Sox wanted Kopech to turn a coincidence into a trend while hoping a Shields trade would naturally create a vacancy in the staff, it’d be hard to blame them. But it’s weirder when watching the Sox shuttle a number of replacement-level outfielders between Chicago and Charlotte while Eloy Jiménez remains undisturbed. Jiménez spent the week demolishing International League pitching, going 14-for-33 (.424) with more homers (three) and doubles (four) than strikeouts (two). He’s now hitting .351/.400/.622 at Charlotte, and if he has anything left to learn about hitting, I doubt Triple-A pitchers will be the ones to teach him. Unlike Kopech with Shields, there isn’t one move that will make Jiménez’s promotion the most natural event. If García didn’t ignite a trade market after an All-Star season with two full years of control over the winter, it’s hard to imagine he’s more desirable when he’s alternating unprecedented power surges with frustrating hamstring strains. And while the Sox may hold out hope that Delmonico can recapture some of his 2017 power, whatever value he provides isn’t going to come as an everyday outfielder, but rather as a sort of left-handed Mike Morse. In Jimenez’s case, perhaps a promotion is a matter of scheduling. Back when he was The Athletic’s Person of the Year, Hahn cited Moncada’s first White Sox plate appearance, in which the rookie drew a walk after falling behind 0-2, as a highlight of the season: “We chuckle a little bit thinking back to Moncada night, but that was sort of like the first taste of what we hope becomes a regular thing,” Hahn said back in December. “It was the first chance for White Sox fans to get a little glimpse of future, just a little tease. One guy on his own is not going to change the course of a franchise, but people had a level of anticipation and excitement about what he brings, that was palpable that night in the ballpark. “The baseball junkies in us get excited about stuff like that, but you rarely see the whole ballpark get excited about a guy going from 0-2 to working a walk,” Hahn said. “But it also sort of reinforced a little bit what we got going, thinking about the next guy’s debut, the next one and the next one. Hopefully we’ll have multiple nights like that next few years until they’re all together and the excitement comes from the wins and losses, as opposed to individual performances.” If the White Sox want to capitalize on “the next guy’s debut” – and Jiménez’s arrival looks like their best shot at creating a similar moment in 2018 — perhaps a West Coast swing full of 9 p.m. start times and hopeless print deadlines falls short of the most favorable time to roll out the player everybody has most wanted to see. Assuming Jiménez’s health can hold up over the short term, I’d understand if the Sox were willing to withstand a few more rote promotions in the hopes of creating an event that’s made for TV and even

better in person. They won’t be able to sell many, if any, dates the same way. If Jiménez is healthy and mashing and home series with the Blue Jays and Royals come and go, I’ll resume being confused about the timetable for the one White Sox prospect who seems impervious to any issues involving timing.