CLEVELAND — Jose Abreu is batting .188/.293/.313 and he leads the American League with 25 strikeouts. Yoan Moncada is batting .200/.318/.273 with 19 whiffs.
These are the White Sox’ No. 3 and No. 4 batters in manager Tony La Russa’s lineup. The team’s hitting coach, Frank Menechino, says he’s not concerned.
“They’re putting a little pressure on themselves to pick up the slack for Eloy [Jimenez],” Menechino said. “It’s early. These guys are trying to feel out how the year is going, how guys are going to pitch to them now that Eloy is not there.”
Menechino sees them working hard, and says it’s only a matter of time before they find it at the plate. The Sox (8-9) face the Indians and right-hander Zach Plesac in the first two games at chilly Cleveland Tuesday night (5:10 p.m. CT). Left-hander Carlos Rodon, coming off his no-hitter against the Indians Wednesday, takes a 0.00 ERA in two starts to the mound.
Perhaps a night of designated hitter duty, which Abreu doesn’t care for, will shake something loose. Abreu hates taking days off and has not missed a game and he won’t get a night off Tuesday, although manager Tony La Russa gave him his first assignment of the season at DH. Yermin Mercedes is playing first base.
The reigning American League Most Valuable Player, Abreu is batting.188 through Monday, when we was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in Boston, has never batted lower than .212 in month, and that was June of 2018. He is a career .257/.328/.469 hitter in April, his lowest career monthly average and slugging percentage.
“He knows he can have 15 walks right now,” Menechino said. “He’s expanding the zone, trying to get things done. And his timing is off. I saw this last year with him.”
Menechino has also seen Abreu chasing pitches in RBI situations. He was 3-for-21 with two RBI in his last six games and 9-for-56 with a homer, seven RBI and 27 runners left on base in his last 15. Only twice has he had more than one hit in a game, and eight of his x RBI came on grand slams.
“He knows it,” Menechino said. “He gets upset with himself, but hey that’s part of getting back into the groove.”
Moncada was 9-for-52 with a homer, seven RBI and six walks in his last 14 games, and temperatures in the upper 30s in Cleveland don’t lend themselves to hitting.
“I’m not excited about the cold,” said fellow Cuban Luis Robert. “I don’t like the cold weather.”
