Reynaldo Lopez has posted 1.08 ERA since getting called up after the All-Star break. He’ll start vs. the Rays Sunday.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — When you are the best starting pitcher in a rotation like Reynaldo Lopez was in 2018, the last thing that crosses the mind is ever seeing the inside of a minor league bus or hotel again.
But that’s what happened to the White Sox right-hander, who struggled the following year and couldn’t get untracked during the short, COVID mess of last season.
Lopez found himself pitching for the Triple-A Charlotte Knights to open the 2021 season. He was about to find out what he was really made of.
“When I look back at what happened, I see it was a test,” Lopez said through translator Billy Russo. “Sometimes you have to go through challenges. It’s the only way you can grow up. You can come out of it stronger and better, and while it wasn’t what I wanted, maybe it was what I needed.”
Since returning from Charlotte on July 19, Lopez has been better than ever, making eight relief appearance and three starts. His fourth start, filling in for Carlos Rodon in the injured list, is Sunday in a rubber match of a three-game series against the Rays and he’ll bring a 1.08 ERA into it after stringing eight scoreless innings over his last two starts against the Twins and Athletics.
And then back it will be back to the bullpen to fill a variety of needs, with Rodon expected to be up and starting again as soon as Thursday in Toronto.
Lopez “has been a huge contributor in the second half,” pitching coach Ethan Katz said, and he’ll return to the bullpen, available for long, multi-inning and back end relief. If a spot start is needed, the Sox know who to hand the ball to.
“My mindset is find ways to help the team in any capacity,” Lopez said.
After Rodon handily beat him out for the fifth starter’s spot in spring training, Lopez went to Charlotte and posted a hefty 7.62 ERA over 10 starts. But something clicked between there and Chicago when he was called up after the All-Star break.
“The tempo in his delivery, he’s going after guys,” Katz said. “The stuff is up right now, the slider is electric.”
Lopez said he hasn’t tweaked much, aside from altering the grip on his slider a tad. His velocity is around 97 mph, and his confidence is as high as it’s ever been.
It also didn’t hurt that Lopez had surgery in May to correct both corneas in his eyes, correcting blurred vision.
“When you don’t see the catcher’s signs clearly you can have some doubts,” he said. “It did create some hesitation and doubt in my mind.”
Mattering more is the stuff and execution of it. Lopez’s strikeout rate of 9.4 and walk rate of 2.5 are the highest and lowest of his career, albeit over a 25-inning sample size.
On days when Dallas Keuchel allows six runs on nine hits over five innings as he did in an 8-4 loss Sunday, or when an All-Star like Rodon needs a break, Lopez’ recent performances provide a measure of comfort.
It’s nice for Katz knowing he’s there.
A couple of months ago, some Sox fans didn’t know where he was.
“It was difficult, I won’t lie,” Lopez said. “In 2018 I was the [team’s] best starter [with a 3.91 ERA over 32 starts]. And 2019 was my first bad year, I never experienced that kind of trouble and outcomes over such a long period. It frustrated me and I wasn’t able to get out of it.”
It seems that he is on his way to being out of it. And when he goes to the bullpen, it’s all good in his view.
“That’s a decision the team has to make and to me it doesn’t matter,” Lopez said. “Carlos will start when he gets here and the team will need me in the bullpen or to start a game. Either way I’ll be prepared to do whatever they ask.”
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