Reynaldo López was set to sq. off towards former Chicago White Sox teammate AJ Pollock within the third inning Monday.
López took a peek on the baserunner on first and got here set. But earlier than he might fireplace dwelling, he was known as for a violation of the 20-second pitch clock rule and a ball was known as to start the at-bat.
“I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh,’” López mentioned with a smile. “But I didn’t worry about it.”
That was about the one hiccup for the Sox reliever in his first spring coaching outing. López allowed one hit in a scoreless, 12-pitch inning towards the Seattle Mariners at Camelback Ranch.
“My arm feels good,” López mentioned. “Control the fastball, the slider. Everything is working proper now.
“Twelve pitches. I’d come back and throw 12 pitches every inning.”
López turned a power within the bullpen final season after working solely as a starter for the Sox from 2017-20. And the workforce anticipates extra success in 2023.
“I think this is going to be a really big year for Reynaldo,” normal supervisor Rick Hahn mentioned on the primary day of camp Feb. 15. “I love the way he’s taken to that (relief) role the last couple years, and he has the stuff to be a dominant late-inning guy.”
Manager Pedro Grifol mentioned the right-hander was sharp main as much as Monday’s look.
“He looks great,” Grifol mentioned Monday morning. “He’s in really good shape. His arm feels great. He’s had really good live (batting practices). The ball is coming out of his hand really well.”
Eleven of López’s 20 appearances in 2021 got here in aid. He had a fair bigger bullpen position final season, going 6-4 with a 2.76 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 61 appearances (one begin).
“It’s more focused than anything,” López mentioned of classes he has discovered as a reliever. “Like pitch by pitch, hitter by hitter. Try to throw first-pitch strikes. That’s my focus right now. That’s a good thing for a pitcher.”
The Sox plan on utilizing López in key conditions.
“He’s definitely a leverage guy,” Grifol mentioned. “We’ve acquired a couple of of these guys, which is nice. Opening day, they’re all going to be accessible. Second day, not all of them shall be accessible. Third day, not all of them are going to be.
“In reality, you need a few of those leverage guys. It’s going to be rare … (that) we have them all available, so versatility is really important for us.”
While they’re with out nearer Liam Hendriks, who introduced in January he was recognized with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the Sox don’t anticipate having one set individual for the ninth.
“Absolutely not,” Grifol mentioned. “That’s not how we are going to run it unless Liam Hendriks is back.”
The relievers — whether or not it’s López, Kendall Graveman, Joe Kelly or Aaron Bummer, to call a couple of choices — shall be conscious prematurely of which slots they’re more likely to seem.
“They are going to know pockets,” Grifol mentioned. “They are going to know which a part of the sport they could be in. Obviously video games change. The recreation adjustments issues.
“But for the most part, they are going to know. I’m not going to buckle anybody where, ‘You are going to pitch in this part of the game or look for this pocket,’ and all of a sudden, ‘Hey, you are in in the fifth.’ That’s not what I’m envisioning.”
After making 81 begins for the Sox from 2017-20, López has embraced the aid duties. And he’s getting ready for any alternative.
“Starting is long, long gone,” he mentioned with a smile. “I simply give attention to my spot proper now. To be a reliever is my dwelling proper now.
“Right now they don’t tell me anything (about a particular inning), but my mindset is the same as last year: Be focused and ready for the call. Seventh, sixth, eighth or ninth, I’ll just try to do my job and do my best.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com