Liam Hendriks dug into his Australian guidelines soccer terminology to explain the place the Chicago White Sox stood in the beginning of August.
“The third quarter is the championship quarter,” the All-Star nearer mentioned Sunday. “So I feel like August is the third quarter of the season. And it’s something that can make or break a championship run.”
The Sox have been two video games behind the first-place Minnesota Twins within the American League Central as they started a three-game collection towards the Kansas City Royals on Monday evening at Guaranteed Rate Field. They’re in rivalry regardless of being only one recreation over .500.
“Teetering around .500, we need to break that curse,” Hendriks mentioned. “And as quickly as we try this, I believe it’s a type of stuff you roll. It’s like that man who’s teetering round that .200 common. Once he will get to .205, abruptly he’s hitting .260 on the finish of the 12 months.
“Five hundred is like the Mendoza Line for us this year. But we’re coming into this stretch of games — I think I’ve said it enough times — it’s an important stretch. At some point we need to define our season and make an impact.”
The commerce deadline looms at 5 p.m. Tuesday, and the Sox made a transfer Monday, buying reliever Jake Diekman from the Boston Red Sox in alternate for reserve catcher Reese McGuire and a participant to be named or money issues.
Diekman, 35, is 5-1 with a 4.23 ERA, 51 strikeouts and 12 holds in 44 appearances this season, his first with the Red Sox. He’ll be a part of Tanner Banks as lefties within the White Sox bullpen.
He is signed via subsequent season with a membership possibility for 2024.
Diekman has a 3.77 ERA, 632 strikeouts, 15 saves and 167 holds in 573 profession video games throughout 11 major-league seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies (2012-15), Texas Rangers (2015-18), Arizona Diamondbacks (2018), Royals (2019), Oakland Athletics (2019-21) and Red Sox (2022).
He additionally has made 13 postseason appearances with the Rangers (2015-16) and A’s (2019-20), posting a 4.50 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 12 innings.
McGuire joined the White Sox in spring coaching in a commerce with the Toronto Blue Jays and slashed .225/.261/.285 with 9 doubles, 10 RBIs and 12 runs scored in 53 video games.
Hendriks mentioned Sunday the entrance workplace has come to gamers for enter on potential additions.
“That’s what I love about the front office here,” Hendriks mentioned. “They ask guys: ‘How is this guy in the clubhouse? How is this guy as a person? This guy on the field?’ It might be the proper match however the man will be (a jerk) and alter the morale of this clubhouse.
“You never want to bring in those trouble guys … especially when we have a tight unit in here. We want to make sure anyone who comes fits that mold and gets along with everybody.”
Hendriks recalled how trades supplied a carry when he was on the 2015 Toronto Blue Jays.
“A .500 team at the deadline and we went out and got (Troy) Tulowitzki, LaTroy Hawkins, Cliff Pennington, David Price, among other guys in there that completely changed the trajectory of the season, and that’s something the front office does a lot,” Hendriks mentioned. “It’s a morale booster you can get here that can completely swing the momentum of things.”
The Sox stay a assured group, Hendriks mentioned, “because you see what kind of talent level is in this clubhouse.”
“It’s not like we’re playing over our skis,” he mentioned. “We have underperformed as a unit and that’s one thing everybody on this clubhouse understands. That doesn’t give us any leeway within the reality we nonetheless must do what we are able to do.
“We understand we haven’t lived up to our potential but we need to find that potential. If we do, we can win the division … especially with the schedule laid out ahead of us.”
Luis Robert ‘unlikely’ to play in Royals collection
Sox supervisor Tony La Russa mentioned heart fielder Luis Robert was “feeling better” than he did Sunday, however chilly signs stay.
“Be careful with him,” La Russa mentioned of the crew’s method. “He is getting better, so our fingers remain crossed.”
Robert has been on the injured record retroactive to July 19 with blurred imaginative and prescient.
He began a rehab task Thursday with Triple-A Charlotte however was out of the lineup Friday with chilly signs. He returned to Chicago in the course of the weekend and performed catch with the coaching workers within the outfield earlier than Monday’s recreation.
La Russa mentioned it’s “unlikely” Robert can be able to play within the collection towards the Royals.
As for rejoining Charlotte to proceed rehabbing, La Russa mentioned, “That’s something we’ve talked about,” however no determination has been reached.
“The first thing is just get him game ready, one thing at a time,” La Russa mentioned.
Pitcher Vince Velasquez is becoming a member of Charlotte on a rehab task. He went on the IL on July 6 with a blister on his proper index finger.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com