Korey Lee of the White Sox celebrates a home run during the seventh inning against the Minnesota Twins at Guaranteed Rate Field on May 01, 2024 in Chicago. (Getty Images)
Justin Casterline/Getty
Sifting through the rubble of a 6-25 team, there are finds worth keeping.
Catcher Korey Lee could be one for the White Sox.
Lee, who homered and threw out two would-be base stealers in the Sox’ latest loss Wednesday (although one, Byron Buxton, left the game with a sore knee afterwards) continues to outperform veteran Martin Maldonado behind the plate and at bat.
He also is showing some of the intangibles Maldonado was signed up for.
“He’s going to be a leader down the road, he has the makeup for it, the characteristics of being a leader,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “Especially in that position. And offensively [.255/.293/.455] he’s done a really good job of using the whole field. Slap a ball to right field, hit one in the gap, homer [three times]. It’s a good at-bat as opposed to last year, he was pressing.”
Jordan Leasure suited for leverage
Rookie Jordan Leasure is getting acclimated to high- leverage assignments — he collected his first save Sunday against the Rays — and seeing his comfort level grow with each one.
“I’ve been getting more comfortable with every game, different situations and new stadiums,” Leasure said. “I’m at the point now, no matter the situation, I’ll be comfortable and prepared to succeed.”
Leasure, acquired from the Dodgers with Nick Nastrini in the 2023 trade for Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly, has closer-type stuff. Managing it with games on the line is part of the development process.
There will be ups and downs. He entered Tuesday’s 6-5 loss with a 1.59 ERA in his first 12 appearances but gave up two runs on two hits and a walk while recording two outs.
Michael Kopech is Grifol’s top choice for ninth inning or highest-leverage spots. But Leasure has said since spring training he would embrace the responsibility.
“Kopech is our guy, he’s electric,” Leasure said. “If it’s my role to set him up, clean up an inning, whatever they need, I’m all for it. When it’s my time to get a save, close out some games, I’ll do everything I can.”
Jared Shuster recalled from minors
Lefty Jared Shuster was recalled from Charlotte and Prelander Berroa sent down a day after the Sox used six relievers.
“It’s important for [the starters] to get deeper into games,” said Grifol, who pulled Garrett Crochet after five innings to conserve his workload in his first season as a starter, yanked Michael Soroka after 4‰ innings and Chris Flexen at five innings and 92 pitches in the Twins series. “But we’re playing competitive games, we’re in these games and we’re making moves to help us win. It’s not that our starters don’t want to go or they can’t go, it’s just that we’re attacking leverage earlier than when I would like. It’s part of trying to win baseball games.”
Mike Clevinger ‘excited’, close
Mike Clevinger should join the starting rotation at the Rays next week. He made his second start at Triple-A Charlotte Tuesday as a tuneup after he signed as a free agent April 5.
“He felt good, the news this morning from our trainers is he’s excited about how he felt, and about how he threw the ball,” Grifols said. “But we’ll assess it and I would expect him here shortly.”
It’s a rebuilding year but veteran pitchers are needed to blend with young developing pitchers, Grifol said.
“You can’t just run this with just young guys,” Grifol said. “That’s not in anybody’s best interests, as a club or theirs as young players trying to develop.”