Pregame notes: Extrapolating this current usage rate

PHOENIX -- First of all, Chuckie Robinson had an opt-out in his minor league deal, with June 15 being a common date for veterans on such contracts to force teams to make a decision on their roster status. The White Sox added Robinson to the 40-man rather than lose their best option if they need a backup catcher on short notice, now that Max Stassi is out for the season.

The Sox designated Duke Ellis for assignment, and there may be a team that can more easily accommodate such a specialized talent, but Pedro Grifol expressed hope that the outfielder/pinch runner will clear waivers.

--If there was speculation that Robinson's 40-man roster addition was the beginning of a chain of events that would end Martín Maldonado's White Sox tenure--and there was, as I don't like to read my mentions but still often do--Grifol's pregame media session smothered it out.

Maldonado has a hit in each of his last two starts, hit two balls hard on Saturday night, and said that while the results are nice, he's been feeling better at the plate for three weeks running now. But Grifol did not take the opportunity to praise Maldonado hints of offensive recovery, but rather to laud his intangible value, and argue that his presence has allowed the Sox to develop Korey Lee at a reasonable clip.

Pulling out a file of workload data to buttress his point, Grifol first noted that Lee is hitting .345/.387/.483 as a DH in limited action, and thinks momentary breaks from defensive responsibilities allow him to lock in offensively. Furthermore, Grifol cited that Lee is on pace to play 100 games, start 82 games behind the plate and finish just shy of 400 plate appearances.

But extrapolating his usage from the last 20 games, which Grifol said is more indicative of the plans for the reason of the season, Lee will make 97 starts behind the plate. That figure would potentially put him in the top-15 for games caught in the league.

"It's good development numbers for him," Grifol said. "You can't just throw him in there and say here, figure it out because there's a lot to it."

--Luis Robert Jr. will start at DH twice over the next three series, but has progressed in his recovery from his hip flexor injury that he will not have any scheduled straight days off in that time.

--Tommy Pham got a replica of his National League championship ring because he didn't get sized for his ring in time, while Dominic Fletcher got the real thing. It doesn't seem like the real ring would have made Pham that much happier.

"I don’t know, man, because we didn’t win the World Series," Pham said. "It doesn’t necessarily feel right to me. It’s a nice gesture from the organization, of course, but it doesn’t feel right."

Pham also thinks that he should have avoided the IL.

"I didn’t think I needed [an IL] stint, but our doctor based off the MRI, he was like, [IL]," Pham said. "Then, as you guys saw, a few days later, I was running on it. I kind of got the short end of the stick there, but I’m not going to take advice from doctors. I should have waited a couple of days before I went on the [IL]."

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