June 01--After hitting the winning home run Tuesday against the Mets, White Sox shortstop Tyler Saladino earned another start Wednesday in the series finale at Citi Field.
Sox manager Robin Ventura originally planned to start regular Jimmy Rollins against Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom, but he said the staff decided on the bus ride home Tuesday night that Saladino deserved another shot.
Saladino has gone 5-for-9 with a double, two home runs and five RBIs on the current trip entering Wednesday, including reaching base all four times in the 6-4 victory Tuesday, with a single, the homer and two walks. Rollins is 1-for-7 with a walk on the trip.
"You play the hot hand," Ventura said. "He does a lot of things well, so just let him run out there and keep going.
"He doesn't overreact really to situations. He's very instinctive, good on his feet, quick reactions, things like that. He's a baseball player. He just seems to react properly anytime the ball is put in play or anything is going on."
Saladino has only started 19 games in his second major-league season, backing up Rollins over the first two months. Known as a solid defender who had an up-and-down first few months offensively in 2015, he has made the most of opportunities Ventura has given him this year and was hitting .290 with 13 RBIs in 25 games entering Wednesday.
Saladino said he has tried to do a lot of homework to stay prepared, using video, coaches' knowledge and other information that he said are "night and day" different from what they were in the minors.
"You have those resources, and I like to take advantage of that," Saladino said. "It's the only way to familiarize yourself with the other team. You spend time in there, even if I'm not playing, just to get a little bit of insight and see what the guys are like out there that we will be up against. ... That way if you get in, it's not foreign to you."
Saladino said the biggest thing he has learned from Rollins, a 17-year major-league veteran, is how to handle the everyday grind, staying relaxed and keeping the work simple so as not to get overwhelmed.
"A lot of it is just how calm he is with everything," Saladino said. "Places like (Citi Field) and Kauffman (Stadium), it's extremely loud. But I think just being around him and all these guys ... I try to just kind of go with the flow with these guys and stay calm. It's just baseball, you know. Stay focused on what we are trying to do."
