Pregame Notes: Clevinger’s second try

I don't want to spend a lot of time belaboring the point that Mike Clevinger's command was off in his season debut on Monday. But they did flash his season numbers on the scoreboard a minute ago and his WHIP is 5.00. That's uh, well...see something new at the ballpark everyday.

That there might be kinks to work out from signing the 33-year-old after the season began and trying to ready him without a spring training--which is as long as it is specifically because of how long starting pitchers need to ramp up--was expected, but such a clunky opening act has prompted a lot of work this week.

"He was really off from where he was last year," said pitching coach Ethan Katz. "His front side was significantly lower, he was rotating a lot differently so his slot was dropping, so his sweeper was slower and not biting like it normally would. He's worked hard to get his slot back up over the last five days and is trying to get that front side a little bit higher, which is where he was last year, which produces a lot better output."

Wow, that's a lot. Katz said Clevinger's sweeper has been sharper in side work, and they reviewed some Edgertronic video to stop him from getting on the side of his cutter on release. That pitch will ideally be harder than it was last season after a grip change. But by the time any of you read this, there will probably be some early indicators whether they were successful or not.

-- Danny Mendick is heading on a rehab assignment to Triple-A Charlotte soon to test out his lower back. It sounds like it will be for multiple games, but Mendick has spoken about it as a minor issue throughout so the Bryan Ramos reckoning is nigh.

Ramos is still hitting .318/.333/.409 after an 0-for-4 night on Saturday, but Pedro Grifol refuted a question asked by a reporter that presumed it was "obvious" he should stay in the majors.

"It’s not obvious, but he’s got to continue to play," Grifol said. "This is a long haul. He’s doing really well right now. We’re taking it day by day with him. We’re not going to be quick to evaluate ‘OK, he’s staying for the whole year’ or ‘he’s going down.’ That’s not how this process is going to work. Right now, he’s doing everything he’s capable of doing to show that he belongs here. He’s putting good at-bats together, he’s playing good defense. But at the same time, he is extremely young. This is his first taste of the big leagues. We’ll take it day-by-day, but he’s playing well."

Given the dearth of "Mendick vs. Ramos" responses I have been seeing among the great landscape of social media, it seems like a good time to point out that Braden Shewmake (.138/.150/.224) has two minor league options remaining.

First Pitch: White Sox vs. Guardians

TV: NBC Sports Chicago

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