There had been occasions that supervisor Pedro Grifol wasn’t certain if Chicago White Sox third baseman Yoán Moncada would return this season from decrease again irritation.
“It was day to day,” Grifol mentioned Tuesday afternoon. “He’d come in and say, ‘I feel good,’ and I would be optimistic that he would be back. And at times he would say, ‘I’m not feeling good.’”
The final couple of weeks had Grifol believing Moncada was on the right track. Tuesday, the Sox reinstated Moncada from the 10-day injured record and he was within the lineup for the City Series in opposition to the Cubs at Guaranteed Rate Field.
“I feel good,” Moncada mentioned by way of an interpreter. “After all I’ve been dealing with, this is the first time I really feel good.”
Back points have restricted Moncada this season.
He went on the IL on June 14 with the decrease again irritation, his second back-related stint. He was on the IL from April 11 to May12 with decrease again soreness.
“I feel good, not 100%, but I feel good enough to play,” Moncada mentioned. “This is something I have to deal with. This is probably the best I have felt since everything happened.”
Moncada has a .232/.279/.370 slash line with eight doubles, three dwelling runs, 13 RBIs and 17 runs in 38 video games this season.
Moncada appeared in eight rehab video games with the Triple-A Charlotte, amassing 9 hits within the final 4 video games.
“His rehab was pretty long, which was nice,” Grifol mentioned. “He was able to get his body into playing shape, and just take your time and get back to a level of playing that we feel comfortable with because he’s taking his time with his rehab.”
With his return, the Sox shifted Jake Burger to second base.
“It’s been three years of a lot of work,” Burger mentioned of studying the place. “In ’21 I started some games at second at Charlotte and I used that offseason to work at second base. (Infield coach) Eddie (Rodríguez) and I have put in a ton of work the last few weeks. Feel good about everybody’s confidence in me to start there.”
Entering Tuesday, Burger has performed two innings at second this season. He appeared on the place in three video games (5 innings) final season.
“Obviously it’s a little more different than third base,” Burger mentioned. “You have a lot more time on groundballs. That’s a positive. It’s working on the transfer the last couple weeks, on double plays and different arm slots for throws.”
Grifol mentioned Burger’s enhancements defensively at third base performed a task within the resolution to strive him at second.
“We started this process probably a month and a half ago and an opportunity hasn’t really shown up until right now because we’ve got everybody almost healthy,” Grifol mentioned. “So to maintain his bat within the lineup, while you evaluate the work he’s put in and what Eddie Rodríguez is telling me, the enhancements that he’s made at third base, how effectively he’s taking part in third base, let’s give it a shot. With the bat in there, I’d give it a shot. Let’s go do it.
“The agility he’s showing (at third), the looseness that he’s showing defensively, my communications with Eddie and what he feels about it, let’s face it, it’s the bat. We want him to go over there and make the routine play and just do the best you can because we want your bat.”
Moncada is open to transferring again to second, a place he performed earlier in his profession, if known as on.
“I would play any position they ask me to play,” he mentioned. “I’m here to help the team. I don’t have any problem to move around.”
Grifol mentioned that’s not a dialog for at this time.
“Does it make sense? Maybe, but does it make sense right now? No, I don’t think so,” Grifol mentioned. “We’ll see how this performs out. That’s one thing that’s most likely an offseason factor. Does it make any sense proper now? Coming again from a again damage, simply hold him over there comfy and let him go forward and attempt to end the season wholesome, after which we consider the workforce and see how it’s and see what we’re going to do within the offseason. And then we’ll see the place it goes from there.
“I would never take that off the table, but right now it’s not on anyone’s mind.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com