Chicago baseball report: Cubs rookie Owen Caissie flashes all-around game, and White Sox rotation gets overhaul

Chicago Tribune

6 hours ago

The Cubs finish their five-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday to wrap up the regular-season slate between the division rivals.
Next up: A three-city, 10-day West Coast trip that begins Friday in Anaheim, Calif., where they could face longtime Cub Kyle Hendricks.
The White Sox play host to the Minnesota Twins this weekend at Rate Field. The division foes last met in late April, and the Sox are 2-4 in the season series. But the Twins made a major overhaul in the final days before the trade deadline, dealing away 10 big-league players.
Every Thursday during the regular season, Tribune baseball writers will provide an update on what happened — and what's ahead — for the Cubs and White Sox.When Caissie initially came into the organization from the San Diego Padres as the marquee piece of the Yu Darvish trade, his upside centered on his bat.
Caissie's offensive production powered his rise to the top prospect in the Cubs system, but the work he put in to become a more complete all-around player shouldn't be overlooked as he makes a splash during his first big-league chance.
'It's gotten a lot better,' Caissie said of his defense. 'Starting my career it was definitely a work in progress. I feel like I've worked hard at it and I'm continuing to get better every single day.'
Caissie showed why the Cubs valued his offensive profile in their doubleheader sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday when the 23-year-old Canadian drove in four of their 10 runs and hit his first MLB home run. He also made a pair of great catches during Game 1 in the tricky right-field corner at Wrigley Field that always presents a challenge no matter how many reps an outfielder might get out there.
Those two plays came on the heels of a catch in the left-center-field gap taking him into the brick wall in Monday's loss, featuring a 30% catch probability, to end the first inning and save a run.
'It was cool to get the first one out of the way, like a bigger play, and then touch the ivy,' Caissie said. 'If I run into (the wall), cool. It'll suck but I'm really trying to make every play possible.'
Caissie takes pregame fly balls in left and right field before every game, barring the long doubleheader day, to continue to get more comfortable. Before the rookie made his first start in right field at Wrigley, first-base coach Jose Javier and third-base coach Quintin Berry, who also works with Cubs outfielders, advised Caissie that balls hit that way might start foul and come back toward the field.
'And they did,' Caissie said. '(William) Contreras' ball started in the stands and came right back and I stayed with it. I'm really just trying to help the team out. It's tough, but I'm going to stick with it for sure.'
August has been filled with adjustments for the Sox rotation.
The changes actually started on the last day of July when the team traded Adrian Houser to the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Sox optioned starters Jonathan Cannon and Sean Burke to Triple-A Charlotte on Aug. 8 and Aug. 18, respectively. Both are working on attacking the strike zone.
Yoendrys Gómez joined the rotation, making two starts after being recalled from Charlotte. And Martín Pérez returned from the injured list.
Analyzing pitching throughout the organization, Getz on Monday said the Sox are 'in a pretty good spot.'
'You look at some of the starters we've had up here and the innings they have taken as young players, that's a real positive,' Getz said in Atlanta. 'Our bullpen has really settled in. It has improved the last six to eight weeks, which is a strong indication of both depth and being able to identify which guys are better in certain areas of the game.
'We are continuing to add depth on the starter front. We have a lot of different options. We all know going into a year, you're going to need in upwards of 10 to 12 starters. We feel like we are continuing to build that depth.'
Getz also pointed out areas in which improvement is needed.
'Our first-pitch strikes (58.6% entering Wednesday, worst in the majors according to MLB Statcast), our walk percentage (9.7%, next-to-last) — you look at where we are in the league, that needs to improve,' he said. 'Those aren't the end all, be all. You can still have success when you are perhaps not top of the league but you can't be at the bottom of the league. Those are areas that need to take larger jumps.
'Our pitching guys, we obviously believe in them. You look at some of the arms we have in the organization the last couple of years and the jumps they have made, industry value, and their performance as a whole has been really positive. We need to continue to stay at it, make some tweaks along the way. But we do feel like we are headed in the right direction.'
Lenyn Sosa ranks third in the American League with eight home runs since July 28. Shea Langeliers of the Athletics has 10 and the Rays' Junior Caminero has nine during the stretch.
When Nico Hoerner opted to undergo flexor tendon surgery in October, a major motivation behind taking that path was to enable him to play shortstop again.
The injury he suffered early last year prevented Hoerner from being able to make the necessary throws from shortstop, and thus he wasn't able to sufficiently back up Dansby Swanson at the position if he needed a rare day off. With that behind him and fully healthy, Hoerner has been able to get more innings at shortstop. He got the start at short in Game 1 of Tuesday's doubleheader, his second start there in August and third of the year.
'He's played a high-level shortstop for a full season in the big leagues, and I think when you've done that and can do that and then can't do that, like something's wrong, so where his arm's at is really good,' manager Craig Counsell said. 'He continues to improve over the course of the season, and I know he feels really good about it too.'
Hoerner hasn't committed an error in his 31 innings at shortstop this year. He was the Cubs' everyday shortstop in 2022 before they signed Dansby following the season. Hoerner's ability to be able to play the position again provides Counsell flexibility to rest Swanson as needed down the stretch.
Gómez is making the most of an opportunity to start.
The right-hander is 2-0 with a 3.60 ERA in two outings since returning from Triple A on Aug. 12.
'I'm glad the organization has given me the chance to start in the major leagues,' Gómez said through an interpreter Monday at Truist Park.
The Sox claimed Gómez off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 10. He pitched in three games from May 15-19, was designated for assignment May 20 and outrighted to Charlotte on May 23.
He had 10 strikeouts and two walks in 10 innings over the two starts.
'When we got him, the opportunity for improvement with him was throwing strikes,' manager Will Venable said. 'He went to work on it, made some great adjustments, and we've seen the results here now two starts in a row where he's competing in the zone.
'He's got outstanding stuff and just has a really good feel for pitching. He's been outstanding.'
Gómez allowed three earned runs and struck out three over five innings in Monday's 13-9 win against the Atlanta Braves.
'You always try to do a good job in every outing,' Gómez said. 'And throw strikes. I think having that mentality and being able to attack the hitters, throw strikes and command pitches is huge.'
'It's hard sometimes to not let the situation get big and honestly just be who you are and really be in the moment.' —