Chicago White Sox's Moncada continues to show improvement
Work in the batting cage continues unabated for Chicago White Sox second baseman Yoan Moncada as his first full major-league season draws to a close.
A recent tweak has been to elevate his hands a bit more during at-bats. The 22-year-old entered Saturday night's game against the Cubs at Guaranteed Rate Field on the heels of consecutive 3-hit games.
A .235 hitter this season with 17 home runs and 61 RBI, over his last 15 games Moncada has batted .322 (19-for-59) with 6 RBI, 5 walks and 18 strikeouts.
"It's been a big help for me," Moncada said of the adjustment through translator Billy Russo. "The results are there for me. They speak for themselves."
Moncada has experienced the ups and downs inherent in a young ballplayer since joining the White Sox in July 2017. He entered Saturday's game with a league-leading 207 strikeouts in 553 at-bats over 142 games. Next closest teammate Matt Davidson had 152 strikeouts through Friday.
Adam Dunn set the White Sox single-season strikeout record with 222 in 2012.
"I never thought about that," Moncada said of Dunn's ignominious mark. "I just tried to play my game, enjoy the game, do the things I can do to help us win games. I don't like to strike out, but I never thought about that record."
White Sox manager Ricky Renteria said Moncada will continue to play and develop in the season's final seven games whether he approaches 222 strikeouts or not.
"I don't talk to him about it," Renteria said of the record. "I talk to him more about his approaches. Trick (hitting coach Todd Steverson) talks to him about his approaches, how he's attacking a particular pitcher and what he's going to do and then reinforce when he does have good at-bats, even though the outcome might not be a good outcome.
"Emphasize he's had good at-bats and he has to be honest when he goes in and studies the film."
Moncada has focused on being more aggressive in his late-season at-bats, though he said that aggression is sometimes tempered by the game situation and the pitcher. He has drawn 62 walks in 662 plate appearances. He said it is all part of adjusting to big-league pitching.
"I learned a lot," he said of his first full campaign with the Sox. 'I still think if I keep applying the things I learn every day, I can improve and I can be a very good player.
"I'm pretty confident I can be that baseball player that everybody thought originally that I can be and the great baseball player I know I can be."
Might be done:
White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu missed a fifth straight game Saturday while he recovers from a right-thigh infection.
Manager Ricky Renteria said "it's a possibility" Abreu may not play again this season, though he did not rule out a return.
"He's got a pretty significant healing process he's got going on with that thigh right now," Renteria said. "He's here and you'll see him around.
"We're trying to keep him limited to what he's doing and let that thing heal. But we'll see how it goes the next few days. I know we've only got a few more days left."