Clint Frazier, seen here with the Yankees, was called up Sunday by the White Sox.
Getty
In 2021, Clint Frazier really struggled. After compiling a 150 OPS+ during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, he dipped to 76 the following season.
Frazier tried to search for solutions, but thinks he might have made things worse. In only 19 games for the Cubs last season, Frazier’s OPS+ just rose to 88. Needing to find a team for 2023, Frazier signed with the Rangers and reunited with hitting coach Tim Hyers, whom he has known since playing high school ball in Georgia.
No, things didn’t work out for Frazier in Texas - he was released April 24 after playing 15 games with Triple-A Round Rock - but Hyers might have made a lasting impact.
“I definitely realized I don’t know as much about baseball as I thought that I did, which is why Tim Hyers was such a great asset for me,” Frazier said. “The pillars of hitting, the important things in my swing to focus on… he got me in a good place and that place led to me being here in Chicago.”
Frazier arrived to the White Sox on Sunday when his contract was selected from Triple-A Charlotte, with Jake Marisnick being designated for assignment in a corresponding move. Once a top prospect with Cleveland and the Yankees, Frazier was hitting .375 with seven home runs and a 1.317 OPS in 16 games with Charlotte.
Frazier said Hyers knew his swing and helped restore his confidence while reminding him of what he does well. That plan didn’t end up with a role for the Rangers, but it did get Frazier to the Sox, who hit him sixth and played him in right field Sunday.
The Sox hope his comfort in Charlotte translates to a productive right-handed bat in the majors.
“Baseball’s hard, man,” Frazier said. “I made it a little bit harder by thinking about some stuff too much. I just try to treat it like glorified wiffle ball in the backyard and just let it go and do what I can do.”
Anderson sits
Romy Gonzalez started at shortstop in place of Tim Anderson. Anderson is 1 for 12 over his past three games, 8 for 34 on the homestand and made a key error in Thursday’s loss to the Guardians.
Manager Pedro Grifol, however, said Anderson didn’t sit because he’s struggling.
“He’s getting a day off because we feel his body needs to recover,” Grifol said. “He’s played a lot of games in a row. We don’t necessarily take players of his caliber out because they’re scuffling. That’s not what we do. We give players a day because their body needs it. They need to recover. That’s where we’re at.”
The Sox don’t have a scheduled day off until June 1.
The right man for the job?
Eloy Jimenez (appendectomy) will need a rehab assignment before returning to the lineup, and part of his preparation will include defensive work to get him ready to play right field. Jimenez won’t play there every game, but he’ll be in the mix, allowing Jake Burger and Yoan Moncada to stay in the lineup at the same time.
“It’s not like before, ‘We need the bat, get in the lineup.’ We need him to play some right field, as well,” Grifol said. “So it might take a couple days extra, just because we’ve got to get right field working, as well, and the legs and everything.”
Joltin’ Joe
Joe Kelly has retired 28 of the last 29 batters he’s faced, including 14 via strikeout. He has an eight-game scoreless streak over 8 2/3 innings and is limiting opponents to a .159 average this year.
Understandably, Grifol doesn’t want to mess with Kelly too much.
“I try to stay away from him as much as I can right now because I don’t even want to get close to him that much,” Grifol said. “‘Just keep doing what you’re doing.’”
from Chicago Sun-Times - All https://ift.tt/ih5ySDI
No comments:
Post a Comment