White Sox catcher Korey Lee keeps his eyes on the pop up by Detroit Tigers’ Parker Meadows before catching it on Saturday, March 30, 2024.
Charles Rex Arbogast/AP
PHILADELPHIA — Korey Lee, 25, has outperformed Martin Maldonado, 37, in most every aspect during these difficult weeks, and it bears watching to see how much more playing time he gets in the coming weeks.
White Sox manager Pedro Grifol started Maldonado (.053/.100/.079) against the Phillies on Sunday for the second time in the series, a game after Lee (.273/.314/.424) had two hits for a team ranked last in baseball in runs. Maldonado has appeared in 15 games, Lee 14.
“Just keep doing what he’s doing,” Grifol said of Lee. “We are developing him into hopefully an every-day guy. That takes a little time. He has to keep learning every day.”
It’s a small sample size, but Lee, first baseman Gavin Sheets and pitchers Erick Fedde and Steven Wilson have been the Sox’ top players, with 0.5 wins above replacement, per Baseball Reference.
“He has a very bright future playing this game,” catching coach Drew Butera said. “He has all the attributes you look for in a catcher mentally and physically.”
Maldonado was signed to a $4 million contract in the offseason to help bring along young pitchers such as Nick Nastrini, whom he caught for the right-hander’s successful debut Monday and again Sunday. But his woeful contribution at the plate is an ugly snapshot of the Sox’ offensive shortfall.
It’s easy to envision Lee’s playing time increasing as the season goes along.
“He’s great skill-wise, he can throw the crap out of the ball, he has great hands behind the plate, he’s very agile and athletic back there, and he cares,” Butera said. “That’s the biggest thing. He puts a lot of time and effort in scouting reports and pitchers, and that goes a long way with me.”
DeJong out with sore elbow
Shortstop Paul DeJong did not play after leaving Saturday’s game after he was hit on the left elbow by a Zack Wheeler pitch. DeJong might miss Monday’s series opener in Minnesota, though Grifol didn’t rule out using him as a pinch hitter.
Benintendi “close”
On top of having a rough defensive game missing a cutoff man and having a foul ball near the side wall pop out of his glove (no error was given), Andrew Benintendi went 0-for-4, lowering his hitting line to .158/.200/.171. Grifol said Benintendi is “close” to getting out of his hitting funk.
“He’s working hard to find his swing,” Grifol said. “He’s done it before, we’re [76] at-bats into this thing, and he’ll do it again.”
Benintendi was signed to a club-record $75 million deal before last season.
Mendick called up
Infielder Danny Mendick, who has homered in five consecutive games at Triple-A Charlotte, will join the Sox in Minnesota. The corresponding move will involve infielder Lenyn Sosa.
Mendick is second in the International League in homers (eight), RBI (20) and OPS (1.205) and is first in slugging (.817). Sosa is batting .132/.154/.184 in 12 games for the Sox.
This and that
Michael Kopech threw 10 pitches at 100 mph or more and struck out Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm in a perfect eighth. Kopech and Jose Sosiano are the only pitchers to hit triple digits 10 or more times in multiple games this season. Kopech threw 15 pitches at 100 or more at Cleveland on April 9.
• The Sox are 11-39 in March and April the last two seasons. They started 7-21 last season.
• The Phillies have won six straight.