Yasmani Grandal is trying ahead, not dwelling on what did — and largely didn’t — go proper in 2022 for the Chicago White Sox.
“It’s a new year,” Grandal stated after a exercise Sunday at Camelback Ranch. “Let’s talk about this year.”
After accidents restricted Grandal to 99 video games in 2022, the catcher says he’s feeling good bodily with camp underway.
“The body feels good,” he stated. “That’s the way that it should be, right? I think everybody comes into spring training feeling better than they did the year before.”
Sox supervisor Pedro Grifol stated Grandal “looks great all the way around.”
“He’s strong, he’s focused,” Grifol stated Sunday. “He’s been right here for most likely a pair weeks. I’m actually impressed along with his work capability. When your work capability is excessive, you may rep issues out. When it’s not excessive, you’ve solely obtained a sure variety of reps a day, so that you restrict your development.
“But his work capacity is really high, and that’s a credit to him and what he did with his body. He’s putting in a full day’s work. He’s repping things out. I’m excited where he is right now.”
Grandal appears to be like to rebound after slashing .202/.301/.269 with 5 homers and 27 RBIs in 2022. He was on the injured listing from June 12 to July 22 with decrease again spasms and Aug. 21-31 with a left knee pressure.
His offseason included working with Chicago Blackhawks power and conditioning coach Paul Goodman.
“We were able to get back to what I’m usually doing in the offseason instead of having to rehab, having to catch up during spring training,” Grandal stated. “Getting your stamina, ensure that your legs are getting beneath you, getting stronger there.
“The catching place is totally completely different to anyone else. There are issues you need to do within the offseason, after which we prepare for that. If you aren’t robust down there, then you definately aren’t going to be robust interval.
“It was definitely a great offseason when it came to that aspect. We got a little bit over 100 sessions in. I saw a progression that I wanted to see as we went on.”
Grandal added of the exercises: “Quite frankly, at the beginning I was like, ‘I don’t know if I’m going to be able to make it through this.’ But as I got stronger, better, things just started to click. We were able to get to where we are right now.”
Sox hitting coach José Castro has been impressed with Grandal’s strategy.
“We all know Grandal had the (right) knee (surgery after the 2021 season), and catching, that’s tough,” Castro stated Wednesday. “Grandal appears to be like actually good proper now. Has labored actually exhausting bodily, swing-wise, the entire deal.
“He’s always had a good eye, as we all know. I really think he’s going to have a really good year. God forbid, no injuries because you never know what can happen. But if he stays healthy, it’s going to be fun to watch.”
Grifol additionally famous a distinction defensively.
“He’s able to get in positions this year that he wasn’t able to get in last year, body-wise,” Grifol stated. “He’s working decrease to the bottom, he doesn’t need to get on a knee as a lot, he’s transferring round higher. So now we’re simply fine-tuning the small print that, actually, he had at one time. He simply wasn’t wholesome final yr, and now he’s. He’s working his butt off.
“The one constructive factor about final yr is he needed to strive completely different (defensive) stances. He’s at all times been a conventional man, and now he’s in a position to incorporate these in sure instances the place he wants angles. Sometimes you want angles, so that you get on a knee. Sometimes you’ve obtained to be conventional as a result of there’s a man at third base and also you’ve obtained to dam.
“But what he went through last year taught him many different ways of doing it back there, so he’s really educated when it comes to positioning and how his body feels.”
Grandal has seen an influence throughout the board.
“You see the difference right away,” he stated. “You see the distinction catching and transferring and operating and hitting. And then recovering, it’s means sooner than you might be used to recovering. That’s why that routine of coaching seven days every week and understanding what it’s that we would have liked to do each day, it helps out when you get to spring coaching.
“You don’t have the body aches, the pains, nothing like that. It’s a matter of coming in and staying, keeping your routine going and taking it all the way from here to the end of the season.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com