Sheets doing his part at plate
For a White Sox team bereft of impact bats after injuries to their big-time hitters, Gavin Sheets has been a revelation.
Sheets entered play Saturday slashing .333/.455/.704 through the early part of the season for an offense that ranks 29th in the majors in batting average with runners in scoring position (.151).
‘‘Going two days without playing is difficult,’’ manager Pedro Grifol said of his decision to play the left-handed-hitting Sheets against Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo on Saturday. ‘‘I have confidence in Gavin giving us a good at-bat against lefties, but I don’t plan on playing him every single day against left-handed pitching.’’
Sheets said he enjoyed facing a lefthander and enjoys competing every day.
Grifol has thought about how best to deploy Sheets because of his fast start. There’s also the matter of incorporating Sheets into the lineup after designated hitter Eloy Jimenez returns from injury.
Among players with at least 20 plate appearances entering play Saturday, Sheets was third in the American League in slugging percentage.
‘‘We need to swing the bat, and he’s been swinging the bat really good,’’ Grifol said. ‘‘We’ll find a place for him somewhere.’’
Bullpen decisions
Grifol has made it known he’ll be cautious with his bullpen, but he said he will take a game-by-game approach to managing the load of relievers Michael Kopech and Jordan Leasure.
‘‘To get in a nice winning streak, you’re going to need the Leasures, the Kopechs,’’ Grifol said. ‘‘To win a game when there’s some urgency, sometimes you have to go multiple innings, even if it costs you the next couple of days.’’
Grifol said he wouldn’t use Kopech on back-to-back days if he has pitched multiple innings the game before. Sox coaches have taken the same approach with Leasure, who threw two innings Tuesday against the Guardians, then didn’t pitch again till Saturday.
Leasure pitched a 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts in the eighth before Kopech worked the ninth. He said he felt good after throwing multiple innings against the Guardians and is comfortable in any role the Sox put him in.
‘‘It was their decision to keep me down,’’ Leasure said of not pitching since Tuesday. ‘‘They’re easing me into it, but I could have gone the next day, so I think that’s a good sign for me at this point in the season.’’
Jimenez’s recovery
Jimenez ran Friday as he continues to recover from a strained left adductor. He then participated in live batting practice Saturday against reliever John Brebbia, who is recovering from a strained right calf that landed him on the injured list.
Grifol said the Sox were comfortable with the numbers Jimenez reached during his running to move him to the next step of his rehab. The batting practice gave the team a chance to evaluate Brebbia and Jimenez and gave Jimenez an opportunity to get into a rhythm against live pitching.
‘‘Now we’ve got to get him back to timing and rhythm and all this stuff,’’ Grifol said.