Madrigal’s rolling since coming back
Rookie batting .400 in 6 games since returning from shoulder injury
Nick Madrigal fell behind 0-2 in his first at-bat back from the injured list Aug. 29 against the Kansas City Royals at Guaranteed Rate Field.
The White Sox second baseman hit Brady Singer’s next offering to center for an RBI single. Madrigal had two hits, one RBI and one run in the 9-6 victory.
The rookie separated his left shoulder while sliding feet first into third base Aug. 4 in Milwaukee. The Sox placed him on the injured list two days later (retroactive to Aug. 5). He was reinstated Aug. 28.
The way he has been swinging since his return, it’s hard to tell that he missed any time.
“The first couple days (rehabbing) at (the) Schaumburg (training facility), facing live pitching, I was a little hesitant,” Madrigal said Saturday before the Sox faced the Royals in Kansas City, Mo. “But the next day I wasn’t sore at all or anything crazy like that, so it gave me reassurance to go for it more and more each day.
“Once I came back with the team I didn’t have any hesitation at all. The training staff did a lot of work on it. We still do stuff every day to strengthen my shoulder just to keep healthy. I owe them a lot of credit. I feel great at this point.”
Madrigal is 11-for-23 (.478) in his six games since returning from the injured list. He went 2-for-4 with one RBI Friday in a 7-4 win at Kauffman Stadium.
“He puts his bat on the baseball, he makes contact,” Sox manager Rick Renteria said Friday. “As they say, a moving bat is a dangerous bat. He has an ability to find holes. As he continues to develop as a hitter and grow stronger, hopefully we’ll see a little more out of him. Right now we’ll take advantage of what he’s capable of doing.”
Madrigal entered Saturday with a .400 average (16-for-40) with four RBIs and four runs in 11 games.
He said he’s having a “blast” contributing to a team that is in contention in the American League Central.
“It’s something I’ve hoped for all offseason,” Madrigal said. “I’ve always visualized being on a winning team and being here and in this position. Honestly it’s not too big of a surprise. It’s something we’ve all worked for (and) talked about.
“Everyone’s known we’ve had the pieces to put together a really good team and make a run at it. It’s definitely a joy to be around these guys and everything that’s going on.”
He played the Royals in six of his first 11 games and went 11for-25 (.440). He had the first four-hit game of his career on Aug. 2 at Kauffman Stadium.
“I’m not sure if it’s anything,” Madrigal said of his success against the Royals and at Kauffman Stadium. “I’ve just played these guys the most. I haven’t faced a whole lot of teams yet. I’ve faced these guys more than anyone else. It’s just one of those things.”
All 16 of Madrigal’s hits have been singles. He’s certain extrabase hits are going to come.
“I know it’s something that’s been on a lot of topics from people, extra-base hits,” Madrigal said. “Right now my role is to get on base for this lineup, and I know that in the back of my mind. So whether I’m bunting every time or blooping it out there, I understand what my role is on this team.
“I don’t need to try to hit home runs. So I’ve really tried to embrace that. I know it’s gonna be part of my future game, it’s something I’m not going to recreate myself. It’s just going to come naturally. It’s something I’ve heard a lot, but I’m going to stick to my approach and the way I’m swinging right now.”