After COVID-19 scare last season, Moncada back in rhythm with Chicago White Sox
"It was scary and a difficult time."
It sure was, but Yoan Moncada made it through.
The first player the White Sox summoned for a Zoom interview when major-league baseball resumed last July after being shut down for nearly four months by the coronavirus pandemic, Moncada was energetic and looking forward to getting back on the field.
He did, but not until missing more than two weeks after testing positive for COVID-19.
Back in uniform, Moncada showed some flashes of his old self last year. Overall, there was clearly something wrong and the switch hitter admitted the after effects of the virus took a physical toll.
"Definitely, my body hasn't felt the same after the virus," Moncada said late last season. "I feel a lack of energy, strength, it's just a weird feeling. It's like a daily battle to try to find that strength, that energy to go through the day."
When asked if Moncada was dealing with myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, a White Sox source said: "If there was any risk to him now or in the future, he would not be playing."
Moncada did play the abbreviated season and he hit a sluggish .225/.320/.385 with 6 home runs and 24 RBI in 52 games.
This spring, Moncada is back on full throttle.
"Last year was a very difficult year," he said. "Not just because of the virus but because I wasn't able to produce at the level I'm used to. It had to do with my rhythm. I have to really battle to find my rhythm at home plate and I can say I didn't get it throughout last season.
"I'm in a better rhythm for this year. I think that's something I'm going to be able to maintain throughout the season. That's my goal. I really believe that this is going to be a very good season for me overall. That's why I am working hard on all aspects of the game."
Moncada was 0-for-2 with a walk Thursday in the Sox's 3-1 Cactus League loss to the Giants in 7 innings.
Starting pitcher Lance Lynn made his White Sox debut and had 3 strikeouts over 2 scoreless innings.
"For me, just get out there, get back accustomed to being in a game," Lynn said. "It was fun, everything went well, threw all the pitches I needed to throw and on to the next one just to keep building up the pitch count."
Lynn is thrilled to be with the White Sox after coming over from the Rangers in a December trade for Dane Dunning.
"When you get traded to a team that was in the playoffs the year before and are trying to make the next jump to a World Series contender, it's exciting," the 33-year-old righty said. "And when they think that you're one of the pieces that can get them there, it puts that pressure on you that you enjoy. That's why you play the game."
Moncada was a missing piece last season. If he can regain his 2019 form, the Sox will be that much closer to making the jump.
"I think the big thing that kept me away from my rhythm last year was the lack of energy or the lack of strength in my body," Moncada said. "I wasn't reacting the way that I used to at home plate and that was because my body felt tired. And there wasn't anything I could do about it. I tried everything, but I couldn't find a solution for that.
"This year, the difference is that my body feels good. I feel strong and I've regained my strength, my energy. And then I'm able to react easily or the way that I used to."